Just to Survive
by Hanakosong
Summary: *based off of Wazombie Warriors* The ZV-virus has spread throughout Seaford, taking most of the population into disease. But there are some who got away without being hit with the virus, and now they are fighting back. But how far will they go for friends? Loyalty? Family? Love? Just how far will they all go to survive? (Kick) [Rated T for violence]
1. Missing

Kim Crawford's eyes fluttered open as she emerged from her fitful night's sleep. Her eyes roamed in a dazed fashion across the tall ceiling before a panicked and confused light flashed into her eyes. Shooting up into a sharp sitting position, Kim's gaze darted around the large room before realization dawned on her and she slouched slightly with a defeated sigh.

Kim was sitting in the gymnasium of Seaford High School. She had been sleeping an old sleeping bag that she had used ages ago on a family camping trip to the mountains. Now it was her bed every night.

Five weeks ago, Seaford had been taken into the grip of something that was widely known as the ZV-virus. It was a nasty epidemic that broke the will of even the strongest soldier. The virus was spread through physical contact. If an infected victim scratched you, you were done for. The virus, once inside of your system, would slowly start to bend you will and break your humanity and driving you towards cannibalistic tendencies. Ultimately, it turned you into a blood-sucking zombie.

When the virus had struck, there were some lucky ones who escaped the city and fled to the country, therefore getting out of reach of the virus and taking on the responsibility of not letting it spread into that part of the country. Anyone else who hadn't become infected was left behind to survive by whatever means possible.

The majority of the population that couldn't escape had gathered at Seaford High, the largest space available that could be easily defended and monitored. Unfortunately for them, it was mostly teenagers and some children that had been left behind. The virus had struck when most people were still in school. Adults had abandoned their children for their own safety and teachers had abandoned their students to try and escape with what remained of their families.

Kim sighed as she recalled all that had taken place in such short time as she stretched and rolled up her sleeping bag. Making her way across the gym, she glanced over at the other six figures that were sleeping in a clump not far off. They had all been on the late night watch patrol with her and she decided to let them sleep while they still could.

Kim pushed open the locker room door and headed over to her locker. The blonde exchanged her sleeping bag for her bow and her belt of weapons. Her personal arsenal included her bow and quiver full of arrows, a shotgun, a katana, and a dagger that she concealed on her calf.

Kim shut her locker as she fastened her belt around her waist and made her way over towards the sink. Kim quickly brushed her teeth and combed out her slightly tangled hair. Once she was satisfied with her work, Kim scraped her hair back into a ponytail, securing it quickly and stashing away her toiletries before making her way out of the locker room and into the hallway.

Kim worked her way through the deserted, darkened hallways, not being able to suppress the memories of brighter times when pep rally posters hung from the ways in extravagant colors and large groups of students wandered through the halls chattering with friends when their biggest fear in life was the grade they were to receive on a particularly difficult exam. Kim couldn't help the tug of longing in her chest for the simpler days that she knew no one could ever have again. The hallways she now walked were haunted with the ghosts and shadows of that past life, overtaken by the darkness of this new, terrible life. Kim shook away the thoughts and quickened her pace.

Kim trotted quickly down the staircase that led to the lower level of the school, her footsteps echoing slightly through the hall. Kim's boots gave a soft click as she stepped onto the bottom floor of her school. Making her way down the slightly less darkened hallway, Kim headed for the auditorium doors.

With a heavy heart, Kim passed the old trophy case. This had once held all the physical manifestations of the crowning moments of her school's history. Now, it was an emergency stash of weapons that was filled with dangerous tools, tools that teenagers should never even dream of wielding.

Sighing heavily, Kim reached out for the handle of the auditorium door, only to find it no longer there as the door was yanked inwards. Kim looked up, startled as a slightly taller boy almost collided with her. The boy stumbled to a halt and gave a short yelp of surprise.

"Kim! I was just coming to find you!" the boy hastily saluted her, standing aside at the same time to let her pass.

Kim waved her hand dismissively. "At ease, Jerry. I've told you several times before that you don't have to salute me."

Jerry lowered his hand and gave her a short shrug. "And I've told you, that since you took on the leadership role, and seeing as this is a war, that I feel it only necessary. Besides, you don't complain when the trainees or the other soldiers salute you."

Kim sighed and walked past Jerry into the auditorium. "Yes, but that's because they aren't in the Council of Five like you are." Kim nudged her friend as he pulled up next to her, matching her stride. "And can we please not refer to a group of children and teenagers as soldiers? It just, doesn't feel right." Kim hugged her elbows and looked down at her feet as they walked.

"Kim, I consider myself the least valuable member of the Council for numerous reasons, so I act as I will around those superior to myself." Jerry stopped and rested a hand on Kim's shoulder, causing her to look up at him. She was startled to see a weary darkness lighting his normally bright and alert eyes. "And even though I completely agree that it seems wrong to call this and army," he said gesturing to the auditorium filled with teens and younger children. "We are at war, Kim, whether we want to be or not. It's a war for our survival and for everyone else here. There's nothing we can do but fight."

Kim was silent for a moment as she pondered Jerry's words. He hadn't said anything she already knew, but hearing him say the last part with such confidence and determination, it gave her newfound strength. Kim looked up at her friend and rested her hand on his shoulder as well.

"And that Jerry, is exactly why you are part of the Council. What you just did there? That gave me strength and hope and that's what we need in this kind of time. So do me a favor and don't ever doubt yourself again."

Kim smiled at Jerry's startled look and gave him a pat on the shoulder before starting off towards the stage where a group of her soldiers were gathered since they were on for a training session at the moment.

The training took place in the cafeteria since, next to the gymnasium, it had the most open space. The trainees, who were pretty much everyone besides Kim and her friends that had taken karate, were taught enough basic martial arts so that if needed, they could defend themselves. There was a handful that had adapted quickly to the basic training and was then selected to be taught slightly more advanced moves that could be used to not only defend against the infected, were they being attacked by them, but also take down the infected. If someone had reached that level in their training, they were also taught how to use the weapons currently at their disposal. This included an arsenal of guns, bows and arrows, swords, bo staffs, an other various items.

Anyone who learned all of this was categorized into a group known as the Reconnaissance Corporation, or the Recon Corps for short. This was an elite team of the best warriors the teens and children of Seaford had to offer and their missions mainly consisted of going out into the now deserted and infected city, getting a status report of the boundaries, rounding up stray people who hadn't been infected and had somehow managed to survive so long alone, and taking out as many infected victims as they could before trying to make it back in one piece.

Kim was pulled from her thoughts as a sudden notion struck her. Turning to Jerry, she said, "By the way, what was it you were coming to get me for?"

Jerry's face seemed to pale slightly, dread taking over his features. His eyes seemed to lose their ability to look at her as they dropped to the floor. Kim noticed Jerry's hands clenching and unclenching into fists, a habit that emerged when he was nervous or worried.

"Jerry?" Kim asked softly. "What happened?"

Jerry spoke softly, almost as if he were afraid she was going to become upset with his report. "A member of Recon Corp One just came in with a message. He was alone."

Kim's entire body went rigid. She stared at Jerry with wide, disbelieving eyes. Kim tried to mentally calm herself down. She needed all the facts before she could freak out. She was the leader and she needed to maintain her cool, she wasn't allowed to lose it, especially not in the middle of the auditorium when half of her soldiers were around her.

"What was the report, Jerry?" Kim whispered hoarsely. She waited with baited breath, praying that it wouldn't be as bad as her over active imagination had jumped to it being.

"Two injured, two MIA, and one dead," Jerry reported in a low voice, still not able to meet Kim's terror filled eyes.

Kim started to shake, desperately fighting for control of herself. But it was a lost battle. Kim broke into a run, flying past Jerry, back into the empty halls that she had just left. She turned and sprinted full out down towards the infirmary. The sound of her echoing footsteps being doubled told her that Jerry had followed quickly behind her. Kim had a vague, distant thought of having to explain this situation later to everyone, knowing she couldn't try to hide it now, what with one dead and her previous actions no doubt turning heads in the auditorium.

Kim burst into the infirmary, her heart pounding wildly in her chest and her pulse thudding against her temples. Kim's breath hitched in her throat as her desperate gaze raked over the two newly occupied beds of the injured Recon Corp members. It was true that they were injured, but at a glance, Kim could tell they would recover. Somehow though, since they weren't already mad with cannibal cravings, Kim guessed that they hadn't received their wounds from the hands of the infected.

Kim registered through her haze that neither of the injured bore the face of the person she was searching for. Looking over at a bed with the curtains drawn tightly shut not to far down the aisle; Kim slowly started to make her way over. The gazes of the medics and the injured followed her heavily, her entrance obviously drawing the attention to her. Distantly, she heard the voice of Jerry gently but firmly commanding the medics to get back to tending the wounded.

Kim stopped by the bedside of the covered cot, her heart hammering against her rib cage, making it rather hard for her to breath properly. Kim took hold of the division between the curtains and hesitated for a heartbeat, taking a sharp breath before pulling apart the drapes.

Kim's eyes scoured across the mauled body of the dead soldier. The body was badly damaged, one leg having been mauled far beyond repair and showing a significant amount of bone. The wound extended from the top of the knee to the hip and was still oozing blood. The chest and arms were also both covered in blood and gore with one arm twisted at an unnatural angle that wasn't pleasant to look at. Kim took a steadying breath and moved her eyes to rest on the face of the victim. Although the face was as terrible and disgustingly mauled as the rest of the body, the person was still identifiable. Kim let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when she had confirmed that it was not the person she had been looking for.

The stench and the overwhelming amount of blood suddenly hit Kim now that her anxiety wasn't blocking out all of her other senses. The sudden onslaught caused Kim to lose her will and she had to turn away before things became even messier. Kim covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress her vertigo. Jerry and a spare medic were by her side instantly. Jerry yanked the curtains shut again as the medic rubbed her back soothingly and asked if she needed to sit down.

Kim waved off the medic with a short thank you for her concern before turning to Jerry. A tug of grief reminded Kim that she would have to announce the fallen later tonight and console the family and friends. But at the moment, Kim had to focus on something else.

"Jerry, where's the last member of this Recon Corp, the one who brought in the message?" Kim asked quickly.

Jerry seemed startled by Kim's sudden turn around from the moment before, but he answered her anyway. "He went off to clean up and try to collect himself mentally."

Kim nodded. "Alright, and he said that the other two who belong to this group were MIA, correct?"

Jerry nodded in affirmation.

Kim beckoned Jerry to follow her out of the infirmary, nodding to the medics and the injured as they left. Jerry trotted quickly after Kim, confusion evident on his face.

"Kim, just what are you planning on doing?"

Kim stopped at the base of the stairs and turned to Jerry. "I want you to go and find that soldier. Ask him where he last saw the two missing members of his group and then report back to me. Understand?"

Jerry nodded. As Kim turned to leave, Jerry reached out and took hold of her sleeve, stopping her.

"Kim, what are you going to do?"

Kim stood silently for a moment before turning to look back at Jerry.

"I'm going to gather my Recon Corp and we are going to go find those two soldiers and bring them home. And before you even try, you can't stop me Jerry. I won't abandon two of my soldiers out there when they obviously can't get back."

Jerry took in Kim's tense stance and stony eyes, her determination obvious to anyone. Sighing, he released her arm and parted ways with her, leaving a sentence behind him.

"Just be careful and come back alive, alright?"

"I will," she promised quietly.

Kim watched Jerry ascend the stairs before turning and rushing off towards the auditorium to gather her Corp. They had some soldiers to rescue.

* * *

**A/N: Okay guys...don't judge me for this. I wrote this at like one in morning and I've had this idea for ages and I decided I would try it. SO, please don't be upset if it sucks (which it will). But still, R&R and tell me what you think. Thanks as always!**


	2. Search and Rescue

Kim pushed open the doors of the auditorium, walking briskly through them. Her sharp gaze moved across the room, taking in all of the soldiers present and searching for the members of her Recon Corp. As expected, her entrance turned every head in the auditorium her way. As she made her way swiftly down the aisle towards the stage, she was met with rigid army postures and salutes on each side. Kim walked commandingly down to the stage, leaping nimbly up onto the wooden surface.

Kim turned to face the people in front of her, still in the saluting posture. Kim raised her hand to wave them away. "At ease, soldiers," she called in a strong voice. The people before her lowered their hands and focused all of their attention on their leader.

"Now, as some of you may be aware, a member of Recon Corp One came in from their mission with two injured soldiers and one dead one." Kim watched as a ripple of murmurs stirred the sea of people before her. She allowed the news to sink in for a moment before she continued on strongly.

"The two who received injuries will recover. As for the other two members, they have been reported as MIA. Lieutenant Jerry is gathering the last known whereabouts of these two soldiers. When he is finished, I will take my Recon Corp Two out into the field for a search and rescue mission of these two soldiers. The rest of you will be under the charge of Lieutenant Jerry and Major Eddie. This school is to be on high-class lockdown until we return. Is that understood?" Kim's steely eyes raked across the soldiers assembled before her.

"Yes, General!" Came the resounding call of all those gathered before her.

"Good. My Recon Corp, gather your weapons and assemble at the base of the staircase in five minutes. I'll need a messenger to go to the cafeteria and alert the training groups of our current situation. The rest of you, head to your stations. Dismissed!"

All of the assembled people before her saluted her quickly before rushing off to do their assigned jobs. Kim watched them for a moment before jumping lightly off the stage and heading through the jostling mass of children turned soldiers. She soon emerged at the other end of the auditorium and pushed her way through the doors into the more open hallway.

The hallway that had been empty that very same morning when she had come down from the gymnasium was now alive with bustling activity as people rushed around, some with weapons in hand, others heading out to gather their weapons from their lockers either in the gymnasium or stashed in the hallway lockers.

Kim wove through the busy crowd and soon found the staircase. She stood off to the side and began an assessment of her weapons. Slinging her bow from where she had it resting on her back with the bowstring lying across her chest, Kim tugged firmly on the taught bowstring, testing it's strength. Satisfied with it, she replaced it across her back and began to shift through her quiver of arrows, assessing the number and sharpness of the arrowheads. After that she unsheathed her katana and held it out, looking down the long, curved blade and judging its sharpness.

Staring now the blade, Kim was whisked back to memories of her days at the dojo with her friends. She remembered the first time she handled a sword like this. Rudy, dear Rudy, had handed it to her with wary eyes and warned her that it was a tool, not a toy, and that she had to be responsible with it. He had made her promise to never use it outside of the dojo. Kim's promise seemed childish and dull now. This was a tool, a tool for her survival that needed to be used outside of the safety and security of her dojo.

Shaking the memory free like loose cobwebs, Kim sheathed her blade and continued to check her weapons. She gave her calf a quick tap, checking that the dagger was still there and knowing it was sharp. Lastly, Kim pulled her pistol from her belt and quickly flicked the magazine catch, releasing the magazine well, checking that she was loaded up on bullets before sliding it back into place and testing the slide, hearing the reassuring click of a ready gun.

Kim twirled the gun in a cocky gesture around her finger before replacing it into the holster. She looked around and noticed that almost everyone from her Recon Corp had arrived and were following her lead in checking the status of their weapons. As the last member came trotting up to join them, Jerry came flying down the stairs and rushed over to her.

"General Kim!" Jerry saluted her.

Kim gave Jerry a quick salute in return. "At ease, Lieutenant. Do you have the report?"

Jerry lowered his hand and gave her a quick nod. "Yes, Ma'am. Cory, the soldier who came back, reported that he last remembered the two MIA's to be with him at Marilyn Drive and Sidney Court. He says they were there because a scout reported the possibility of survivors being located around there. However, he said they hadn't seen any and they were on their way back when some infected came after them."

Kim sucked in a sharp breath, well aware of the possibility that the two MIA soldiers were now part of the infected. Giving her head a small shake, Kim refused to accept that without seeing it for herself. Kim gave Jerry a sharp nod.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Give me the rest of the details later. You and Major Eddie are in charge of the troops. I've ordered everyone to their stations and for the school to be on high-class lockdown until we return."

Jerry nodded to Kim and saluted her formally. "Good luck, General. And to the rest of Recon Corp Two. Make sure you return in one piece."

Kim saluted Jerry in return, along with the rest of her Corp. "We will, Jerry. And we will come back with the two MIA's if they haven't been turned."

Jerry and Kim exchanged a look, one filled with worry and desperate hope that the two MIA's hadn't been turned. Jerry was the first to look away as he headed off to his station at a fast trot. Kim watched him for a moment before she signaled her Corp to move out.

"Let's get moving."

* * *

Kim led her Corp down the dark, deserted road towards Marilyn Drive. The high school was located in the middle of a vast neighborhood so the darkened street was lined with equally darkened houses. The lawns were over grown with weeds and often rustled dryly in the hot wind. Glancing at the sky, Kim sighed heavily when it showed that the air pollution caused by the presence of the ZV-virus had not improved. The gray skies were so congested with pollution that airwaves for communication couldn't even transmit properly anymore, therefore cutting off any form of contact to the rest of the country, let alone the rest of the world. Seaford was on its own.

Kim brought her focus back down from the dirty skies to the filthy, dark road ahead of her. Glancing around, she found a street sign that told her they were approaching the crossroad of Marilyn and Sidney. As they kept walking, one of Kim's soldiers pulled up beside her.

"Permission to speak, General," the boy said in a low voice.

Kim glanced over at him. This was her best tracker, Bryn. He had short dusty brown hair and wide, hazel eyes. His senses were heightened far beyond any other soldier that she knew of and he had proven his loyalty before many times.

"Granted," Kim nodded, her eyes sweeping around the empty space.

"General, I'm sure that you are aware this mission could all be for naught, seeing as Recon Corp One was attacked by infected, that the probability of their survival is astronomically slim."

Kim adjusted her fingers on the grip of her pistol, glancing sharply over at Bryn. "What are you getting at, Bryn?" she said tightly.

"Well, if we know this, why are we risking this search and rescue when there may not be anyone to rescue?" Bryn was holding a long-range sniper rifle and here he adjusted his hold on the weapon before adding. "If that isn't too bold a question, General."

Kim took a steadying breath before looking sidelong at Bryn. "That is too bold. But, as you should know, Bryn, seeing as you are sharp, my partner, the other General, is one of those MIA's. And the soldier with him happens to be the younger sister of Diana over there. And I'm sure you would love to be the one to explain to her as to why we just simply gave up."

Bryn glanced over at Diana and paled slightly. Diana was one of the top ranking hand-to-hand combatants from outside the dojo members. She was tall and lean and had a gaze like stone. No one ever messed with her and she was known to scare many of the younger trainees into order.

"Understood, General," Bryn said hoarsely before dropping back into his position.

Kim smirked to herself and continued to stalk cautiously down the empty drive, her senses ranging out on high alert.

It was only a moment before Bryn was back at her side, grasping at her sleeve fitfully. Kim turned to look at him with alarm in her eyes.

"Bryn?" she said demandingly.

"General, I can hear shots being fired a bit further down Sidney towards Mill Road." Bryn's face was drawn tight and he stared up at Kim with terror lighting his eyes.

Kim set her jaw firmly and nodded. "Right. We are going to assume that it's the two MIA's trying to hold their own against some infected. Now, here's the plan. Diana, you are going with Bryn to the roof of that house over there," Kim said, pointing to a nearby house. "Bryn, from there, you are going to take out as many infected as you can."

"Why do I have to go with him?" Diana protested, obviously upset about not being able to go and get her sister herself.

"Because Bryn is our best shot at having a surprise element and I need you to cover him."

Diana huffed and glared over at Bryn who flashed her a frightened smile.

"Right, now, the three of you," Kim said, looking at the other members of her Corp. "Are going to come with me and we are going to be covering ground assault and trying to find the MIA's. Understood?"

"Yes, General," came the unanimous response.

"Good. Stick together and try to not get infected. Dismissed."

Bryn and Diana adjusted their weapons slightly before nodding to the group and taking off to their designated house. Kim cocked her gun and turned to her soldiers. She gave a short nod and together they all took off running along the stretch of deserted road that was indicated as Sidney Court. It wasn't long before the battle was visible to Kim; it was hard to miss it.

Kim gave the signal and her and her Corp rushed into the melee, their weapons instantly in use and striking down the infected that swarmed around them. Kim, while firing her pistol at any infected that got too close, scanned the rubble that cluttered the streets for any signs of the two MIA's. Every now and then, Kim would see an infected fall where it had obviously not been shot by anyone close. She felt a swell of pride for Bryn and Diana, knowing they were successful.

Kim's brown eyes swept along the battlefield, desperately searching ever nook and crevice in the ruins of a nearby house that they were currently fighting in.

Kim's heart gave a sudden leap as she spotted a young girl fending off an advancing infected. Her face was smeared with dirt and blood and she looked absolutely terrified. Kim hauled herself up and over a large chunk of debris and rushed over. As she approached, Kim took aim and fired her pistol, the shot resounding with a crack. The infected jerked from the impact of the bullet and slumped over to the ground.

The girl looked over sharply, her eyes still wide and confused. Kim cautiously knelt down in front of her and took her small shoulders in her hands.

"Lillian? It's me, Kim, General Kim. Are you alright? Are you hurt badly?" Kim asked kindly as she looked over the girl.

"G-General Kim? Yes…I'm okay. I'm-" Lillian broke off as her voice caught in her throat. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and left tracks through the dirt on her face as they fell down her cheeks.

"Lillian, you're okay. Shh," Kim held the girl close. "You're okay. Tell me how old you are." Kim already knew how old she was, she just needed to make sure Lillian still had a grip on her mental stability.

"T-thirteen, General Kim," Lillian snuffled out.

"Okay, good. You're gonna be okay. Alright," Kim pulled back and looked at Lillian. "Can you tell me where the other General is? Is he with you?"

Lillian nodded and pointed to a large pile of debris behind her, wiping at her eyes as she did. Kim began to think that maybe Lillian really had lost it. She was just about to ask again when something caught her eye. There were obvious signs of someone trying to dig out something. It was in this area that Kim noticed a limp hand exposed all the way up to the elbow.

Kim gripped Lillian's shoulder and looked back at the girl. "Is that the General? Were you trying to dig him out?" she asked urgently.

Lillian nodded, now having better control of her emotions. "Yes, I was. We got separated from Cory when these infected attacked us. We were fighting them when this pile of debris shifted out of nowhere. The General couldn't get out of the way in time and he got buried. I've been trying to dig him out for almost twenty minutes."

Kim nodded and moved past Lillian to the hand. "Lillian, can you watch my back while I dig him out? Once I've gotten him out, we are going to get out of here and head back to the school, okay? We are all going to be fine. I promise."

Lillian nodded and hefted her gun, turning to face any oncoming infected.

Kim turned her attention on the limp arm protruding from the debris pile. She placed her pistol back into its holster and set her hands against a large chunk of decayed siding. Kim gave it a significant heave and felt it shift away. Glancing down, she could see that the movement had knocked free a lot of the smaller bits of debris that covered the General. Kim began to work away quickly at the smaller pieces and soon had the majority of the General uncovered.

Kim looked over her partner. She took in his shaggy brown hair and beautiful face. His eyes were closed and he was covered in dirt and blood. A large gash ran along his side and his shirt had been practically torn off his torso. Kim blinked back her tears and got under his shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled as hard as she could. It took a moment but his legs were soon freed from the wreckage.

Kim sank to her knees, unable to help herself even in the middle of battle. Kim took his dirty face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, her tears falling onto his face.

"I've got you, you're going to be okay," she whispered.

Kim felt him stir underneath her and she straightened up sharply. His eyes fluttered open, revealing his hazel irises. "Kim…" he muttered, fixing his weary gaze on hers.

"Jack," Kim said, all of her emotion, her desperation and relief, poured into that single word. She held him closer and whispered, "I thought I told you to be careful."

"I was careful," he muttered. "Just not as much as I should-"

Jack suddenly cut off, his sentence ending in a strangled cry of surprise. Kim released him and pulled back to look down at him, afraid she had hurt him. But Jack didn't fall back in pain; instead he reached past Kim and shoved her down, pulling himself past her.

Kim caught herself on her hands and let out a huff of breath as she hit the ground. Whipping around, Kim's eyes found Jack standing protectively in between her and an armed infected. She could only watch as Jack used himself to shield her while the sharp metal railing the infected held was impaled into Jack's shoulder, way to close to home for Kim's taste. Jack cried out in pain before falling sideways and landing among the debris. Kim watched him fall as if in slow motion, a strangled cry tearing her throat on its way out as she watched helplessly.

"Jack!"

* * *

**A/N: Okay...so...just ignore me. This chapter was a little rushed so it's really terrible. Gack...I'm sorry. R&R anyways.**


	3. Further In

"Jack!" Kim sobbed. Tears suddenly blurred her vision, the edges tinted red with rage at the same time. Kim let out a defiant scream and raised her pistol. Kim fired three times, striking the infected right in the heart each time. Not bothering to watch the body fall, which she knew that it would, Ki whirled, her pistol raised and scanning the area for any signs of infected that still roamed around. Once Kim was satisfied that all the infected had been taken care of in this area, she rushed over to Jack's side.

Lillian was already crouched next to him, trying to be as gentle as possible while she pulled at the metal railing that was lodged deeply into Jack's shoulder. Kim threw herself down next to Lillian, her heart racing with adrenaline and her eyes flooded with desperation. Straightening up, Kim tried to control her voice as she called out to her Corp.

"Medic! I need a medic here! Where's Holly?" Kim's eyes raked across the battlefield, counting mentally three that were left standing, all of them her Corp members. She let out a small breath of relief, grateful that her Corp had survived.

A girl about Kim's age came sprinting over through the rubble, her fingers working quickly at a releasing the pack from her back. Holly knelt down and swung the pack around in front of her, opening it and digging through its contents. She glanced up and seemed to assess the damage with her bright green eyes. As she bent her head again, Holly's blonde hair fell in front of her face and she impatiently pushed it back behind her ears.

"General Kim, I need you to pull out that railing and quickly. Try not to move it around too much when you pull it out. Just make sure it comes out as cleanly as it went in and the may remain minimal." Holly was still sorting through the contents of her pack, not looking up as she said this.

Kim nodded numbly and gently pushed Lillian out of the way, moving closer to Jack. Kim wrapped her hands firmly around the metal and took a breath. She started to pull it out, moving it as carefully as she could and not looking at where it met the flesh, knowing that she would most likely pass out if she did. The railing came free much sooner that she expected, causing her to fall back slightly.

Kim risked a glance at the wound and found that it wasn't as bad as she had feared. The railing hadn't penetrated deep enough to show bone, thankfully. Holly moved around to Kim's side of Jack and took her spot, her hands starting to work deftly at cleaning up the blood. Kim stood back and looked at the rail in her hand. The tip wasn't actually that sharp, explaining why it hadn't gone as deep as it should have.

Tossing the railing aside, Kim looked back over at Holly. Holly had finished cleaning the wound and was now using stitches to sew it shut. As she worked, she explained quickly the state of the wound.

"Thankfully, the rail didn't impale the General too deeply. This wound barely even got to muscle. However, it will take a few weeks until General Jack is able to use his shoulder properly. As soon as I finished stitching the wound, we can get out of here and finished treatment at the school. General Kim," Holly said, turning to face her leader. "That rail, may I see it?"

Kim bit her lip and turned to where she had thrown it. Thankfully, it was still in sight. Scooping it up, Kim brought it back to Holly and handed it to her. Kim watched as Holly examined the rail. When she was satisfied, she handed it back to Kim.

"Thank you. It doesn't appear to have rust on it so there shouldn't be the fear of infection. I wasn't expecting it to have rust, considering it's been five weeks since this house was demolished. But, with the ZV-virus in the air, I had to be sure."

Holly finished up with Jack's wound and started to pack her things away. As she was doing so, Diana and Bryn came running over, their faces matching masks of worry seeing everyone gathered around a figure on the ground. Kim waved her hand to say that Jack was going to be okay. Bryn let out a sigh and Diana's eyes moved to Lillian.

"Lillian!" she cried, her voice thick with emotion. Lillian looked up and made a small noise in the back of her throat, almost sounding like a squeak. The younger girl rushed over and flew into Diana's outstretched arms, clinging to her like a lifeline.

Kim watched the two sisters, smiling a little to herself. Today had been successful, even if Jack wasn't in the best condition. He was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Alright," Kim said, regaining her voice and standing straighter. "Let's move out. We need to get back to the school before more infected find us."

Kim looked over at Holly. "Can Jack be carried upright? Will it mess with the stitching?"

Holly bit her lip and looked over Jack who was still lying on the ground, out cold. "Yes, he can be carried upright, but only on the side that doesn't have stitching."

Kim nodded. "Right. Aaron," Kim said, looking at a very tall boy who had a very strong build. "Can you carry Jack?"

Aaron nodded and put away his gun before walking over and carefully pulling Jack up to his feet and slinging Jack's good arm over his shoulders. Aaron looked to Kim and nodded his consent.

Kim pulled out her gun and nodded. "Let's head back to the school! Quickly now, we don't want to be caught out here for much longer."

Kim watched as her Corp got their gear ready, prepping their weapons in case they were ambushed. When they all looked to her, showing they were ready, Kim gave a sharp nod and started off in the direction of the school. Kim gestured to Bryn and Diana to take the lead, putting Aaron with Jack and Lillian and Holly in middle while Kim and the last member of her Corp, a boy named Michael, took the rear of the group.

They moved slower than Kim would have liked due to Jack's injury and inability to carry himself, but they moved quickly enough. Much to Kim's surprise, they were not bothered on the journey back to the school.

When they approached, Kim heard the familiar clicking of readied rifles and she waved her hand in the air, calling out to the rooftop where the scouts were.

"General Kim with Recon Corp Two! We have the two MIA's from Recon Corp One with us and the other General is wounded!"

A head appeared over the edge of the roof, his bright, hawk-like eyes scanning the group below him. He looked back at someone and gave a quick nod. He then turned back and called down, "Welcome back!"

"Thank you Major Eddie!" Kim called up before looking down at the doors to the school. It was only a few moments before a younger boy shoved open the door and stood aside to let them in.

Kim let everyone else go inside, glancing over her shoulder behind her before following them inside to the sanctuary of the school. As Kim walked inside, she saw that some people from the infirmary had shown up with a stretcher and were now rushing off with Jack on it. Kim scanned the small crowd and found Holly talking to a medic, most likely explaining what had happened.

"General Kim," someone said behind her. Turning, Kim found herself looking at Bryn, Michael, Aaron, and Diana, who was watching Lillian walk off with a medic.

Kim shook her head slightly, refocusing on what she needed to do now. "Yes, right. You guys can all go get looked at by the medics just to be safe and then you can clean up and get some rest. Dismissed."

Kim saluted her Corp and they returned the gesture before walking off towards the infirmary, leaving Kim to lean against the wall in exhaustion. Everything that had happened today rushed through her mind, the things she needed to do, to say, to check on. With a heaving sigh, Kim closed her eyes and rested her head back against the wall.

Her moment of solitary silence didn't last long, though. "Kim!" came a voice from down the hall.

Opening her eyes and rolling her head to the side to look at the approaching person, Kim felt relieved to see it was Jerry and Eddie. She remained in her slack position, knowing they wouldn't care if she wasn't upright and active.

"Hey guys. Is there anything to report during our absent? All the trainees behaved?"

Jerry and Eddie each took up a position against the wall on either side of Kim. Jerry shook his head and smiled.

"Nothing to report. All was quiet and every trainee knew their place." Jerry's mischievous grin slipped a bit and he glanced away from Kim. "How's Jack doing? I saw them taking him away on a stretcher."

Kim could feel the apprehension coming off in waves from her friends, their eyes locked on her, waiting for her to tell them everything would be all right like she always did. That was why she was one of the Generals. She was everyone's beacon of hope in the darkness. Kim could put a positive spin on any situation and rally the troops of children turned warriors whenever things started to fall apart.

Kim sighed and picked her head up off the wall. "Jack should be fine. Holly said that his shoulder wound hadn't punctured the muscles too deeply to be dangerous. But he won't be able to use his shoulder properly for a few weeks. But that was just her field report, we should wait until Milton gives us the final verdict."

Jerry and Eddie seemed to relax significantly on both sides of her. They knew that Holly was hardly ever wrong in her examinations, even if they were given in the middle of the fray. She had a unique ability to shut out the world around her and focus completely on the person in front of her.

"How did he get that wound? It wasn't from an infected, was it?" Eddie's worried voice brought Kim back to the world in front of her. She had tried to hold herself together when she was thinking about it, but now, in front of her friends, Kim broke down.

Kim sank to the floor and drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them close. She buried her face into her knees and started crying harshly, sobs racking her body as she tried to suppress them at the same time.

Jerry and Eddie exchanged stunned looks before looking down at Kim. They were unsure of what to do since Kim rarely ever lost control in front of them. Usually if she had to breakdown, she would do it alone or with Jack. He was really the only one who knew how to handle her when she was upset. The two of them sat down next to Kim. Hesitantly, Jerry reached out a hand and laid it on Kim's shoulder, rubbing his thumb over her shoulder.

Eddie did the same on her other side, neither of them wanting to risk doing much else in case she turned and punched them.

When Kim started to gain control of her emotions again, Jerry said quietly, "What happened Kim?"

Kim sniffed and straightened up, wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her hand before explaining.

"When Jack and Lillian got separated from their Corp, they were fighting the infected. Lillian said this huge pile of debris just shifted randomly and Jack couldn't get out of the way in time so he got buried. When my Corp found them, Lillian was trying to dig Jack out while fending for herself against the infected. I eventually dug Jack out and we were about to start heading back with him when he shoved me down. I turned around and he was standing in between an infected and me. The infected had this metal rail in its hand and it used it to stab him in the shoulder."

Kim sniffed and felt her throat tighten as fresh tears started to pour down her cheeks. "It's my fault he's hurt. I let my guard down and allowed that stupid infected to sneak up and almost kill us. He shouldn't have blocked me, I'm not worth dying for."

Jerry was suddenly in front of Kim, holding both of her shoulder firmly. "Kim, don't you ever say that again. Jack sacrificed himself for you because to him, you are worth dying for. You haven't heard the way he talks about you to me. He really does care about you Kim, I promise you that."

Kim looked up at Jerry in shock. "Whatever happened to the cocky, careless Jerry?" she marveled aloud.

Jerry sank back on his heels and released Kim's shoulders. With a smirk he sat back down next to Kim against the wall. "Desperate times, Kim."

Kim sighed and looked down at her hands.

"So," Eddie started, obviously trying to take Kim's mind off the situation with Jack. "You said that they infected was armed with a metal rail, right?"

Kim nodded, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," Eddie hesitated. "From the reports I've heard, infected have never been armed before. They've actually been fairly easy to kill off since they were just like zombies, walking straight into the barrels of our guns. But now you're saying that they are arming themselves."

Kim nodded, waiting for Eddie to continue.

"We call it the ZV-virus for a reason. The infected look and act like zombies, but they have the cannibalistic tendencies of vampires. Zombies are extremely stupid and don't really have the brain functions to think about arming themselves and attacking back. But now if some of them are arming themselves, they're showing one of two things. Either some are more in touch with the Z or V part of the virus; if it's the V part, they have more brain function, which means there are two types of infected out there.

"The other option is that the longer they are exposed to the virus, the more equalized the two parts of the virus are inside the body and mind. This means that these infected may even adapt the speed and agility of vampires."

Eddie's words hung heavily in the air between the trio of friends.

Kim put her head in her hands and groaned. "We are so screwed."

* * *

**A/N: Okay so...yeah. Please forgive me for this. I don't know why I keep on writing when it's actually a terrible story. I don't understand why you guys tolerate me and my rambling. Anyway, R&R and a big thank you to anyone still actually reading this. I love you all.**


	4. Funeral

Kim sighed as she shifted through a small pile of papers on the large oaken desk before her. Kim and Jack had turned the used to be principal's office into the planning room for themselves. But now, it was just Kim as Jack had yet to wake up in the infirmary. Milton had promised that he would wake up and that was enough to allow Kim to push aside her personal emotions so she could settle the business at hand. Tonight after dinner, Kim had scheduled a meeting of all the troops in the auditorium so she could hold the funeral for the fallen soldier. Immediately after that, Kim had scheduled a meet up of the Council of Five so she could brief them all on the current events and new knowledge that they had obtained.

Kim tossed her papers on top of the already cluttered desk and flopped backwards into the plush spinning chair that had once been occupied by the principal. She used her feet to propel the chair around so she could face away from the desk and stare at the wall behind her.

On her personal request, she and Jack had left this wall untouched when they were rearranging the office for their own needs. There were awards and pictures and trophies that had the highest honor of being displayed in the principal's office and they were the memories of the lives everyone here had been forced to abandon for survival. And even though Jack had protested, saying they needed the space, he had relented easily, leaving Kim to guess that he too wanted to keep some kind of memento of their past, however painful it was sometimes to look at.

There was a soft knock on the door and Kim spun her chair back around before calling out that they person could enter. The door opened to reveal Lillian holding a small tray in her hands with Diana standing protectively behind her.

Kim sat forwards and gestured to the seats set in front of the desk, saying, "Come in, you two. What can I do for you?"

Lillian walking over timidly and set the tray down on top of the mound of papers. She saluted Kim and the glanced at Diana nervously.

"General Kim," Lillian started softly. "Um, Diana and I wanted to bring you dinner to thank you for saving me and because we noticed you weren't present at meal time."

Kim looked at Lillian for a moment before glancing down at the tray of food. She looked up and smiled at both Lillian and Diana.

"Thank you, both of you. That was very thoughtful. And I'm just glad you're safe Lillian. You were very brave today while defending the General and I think both him and I owe you for that."

Lillian's face flushed pink at being complimented and she smiled nervously down at her combat boots.

"T-Thank you, General Kim," she stuttered out before saluting her again and rushing back to Diana's side. Diana hugged her sister close and looked up at Kim.

"I really am grateful you saved her. She's all I have left of my family."

"You're wrong you know," Kim said, causing both Diana and Lillian to look at her incredulously. "We are all family now, and we all look out for each other. But I understand what you mean," Kim smiled at the two girls.

Diana and Lillian exchanged a glance and then smiled at Kim before saluting her one last time as they left, shutting the door behind them.

Kim pushed the tray to the side, not really feeling like eating and resumed shifting through the papers. She appreciated the gesture from the two sisters but the anxiety that gnawed at her insides prevented her from consuming food without being sure that it wouldn't just come back up again.

Kim was just putting all the documents together for the meeting with the Council later in the night when another knock sounded on her door. Kim tried not to feel exasperated as she granted entrance to her most recent visitor.

However, when the door opened, Kim shot to her feet, eyes wide. Standing in the doorway was Milton and Kim's eyes were raw with desperation, pleading for some kind of good news on Jack's state. Milton looked at her and shook his head before saying, "He hasn't woken up yet."

Kim slouched and sat back down heavily, her eyes looking broken. Milton moved to sit next to Kim and rested a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"He will soon, though, I'm sure of it. His body is just recovering from the major shock of the wound. To be honest, there isn't anything wrong with him aside from that. He should be good as new in about a week after he wakes up. He will be fine Kim, I can promise you that."

Kim looked up from where she had been staring dejectedly at her hands and smiled at Milton.

"Thank you Milton. I'm glad you're still around to keep us all in order. None of us would have made it this far if you weren't here to keep us mentally and physically stable."

Milton shrugged and gave Kim's shoulder a pat as he stood up. "What are friends for, Kim?"

Kim gave a short laugh and glanced down at her papers. "Oh, did you need something Milton?"

"Yes, I came to make sure you were eating since there's only ten minutes until you wanted everyone to be gathered in the auditorium. I know you're nervous about Jack and that can make you feel like you're too nervous to eat, but trust me, you of all people need the energy; what with you running around being a hero and saving lives while stressing out over running an entire operation of children turned soldiers."

Kim sighed through her nose and smiled up at Milton who was grinning cheekily down at her. Kim dragged the tray over so it sat in front of her again and started to eat. Once she began eating, it made her realize how hungry she actually was and she soon had the tray cleared of food.

Kim pushed the empty tray aside and started to stand, grabbing her papers as she did. Looking over at Milton, Kim found him smirking at her and he shook his head with a laugh.

"Oh shut up, Milton," Kim teased as she walked over towards the door. Opening it, she made a mocking flourished gesture for Milton to go first out the door.

"Come on or we will be late, Doctor."

Milton smiled at Kim and shook his head, walking out of the office past her, leaving a sarcastic, "Yes, General," behind him.

Milton wouldn't be attending the funeral in the auditorium because he needed to stay behind and monitor the infirmary so Kim and Milton parted ways at a division in the halls. Kim came upon the auditorium doors and found a steady stream of her soldiers walking in. Kim quickly hopped in line with them and made her way up to the stage where Eddie, Jerry, and Milton's assistant were already positioned in chairs.

Kim greeted them and took her seat next to Jerry, sighing quietly as she sat down, not really wanting to lead a funeral while she had Jack's current state on her mind. But that was her job, to put aside her personal needs for the needs of her troops so that they could remain strong.

Kim noticed, after a soft nudge from Jerry, that all of the troops had assembled and the funeral was ready to begin.

Kim bit the inside of her lip and stood from her chair. Walking over to the podium that had been placed on the stage near the coffin, Kim tried not to look at the bandaged wounds that covered the dead soldiers body. She gave a short bow of her head, which was customary for non-personal relationships with the deceased, before approaching the podium.

As Kim took her place at the podium, she spotted a small cluster of girls around a figure who was crying fitfully, trying to silent.

_The fallen soldier's sister_, Kim thought with a tug of grief.

"Troops," Kim began after a short pause, her voice ringing out strongly through the auditorium. "We have gathered our ranks here today to remember our fellow soldier, Jason Hunter. He was a friend, a brother, and a loyal soldier, and we will never forget him."

Kim paused a moment to let her words sink in and to allow Jason's sister to cry in silence for a moment before she continued.

"Jason's sister, Evaline, has asked me to speak for her today." Kim looked down at the paper Evaline had given her earlier that day and cleared her throat.

"Jason was a good brother, and a my best friend. Even before we were all each other had left in the ZV-virus attack, Jason was always looking out for me. I was the little sister who constantly needed watching and who was always by his side. Most brothers would hate that, but not Jason. We shared everything, including a birthday."

Kim had to pause there, her heart constricting fiercely. She soon found her voice again and continued.

"I was the younger sister by less than a minute, but to Jason, that made all the difference in the world. After the virus struck, we lost our parents in the fray. Jason kept me close to his side as we ran and hid and just tried to survive until we could figure out something to do. It had been about a week and we were hungry and tired of running. A pair of infected appeared then, and tried to turn us. We couldn't move and thought for sure we were dead, but that was when the Generals Kim and Jack came swooping in and saved our lives, killing the infected and taking us in. Jason, from that moment on, dedicated his loyalty to serving the Generals and he died like that, loyal to the end. He will be missed, and he is still loved."

Kim finished the speech and looked out into the audience to find Evaline. Their eyes met and Evaline mouthed, _thank you_, her eyes watery.

Kim nodded and went to sit down back next to Jerry, her heart heavier than when she had started that speech.

Everything seemed to blur together as several of Jason's friends came up to say a few words and pay their last respects to their friend. Kim couldn't help but wander in her mind a bit, the service seeming to drag along a bit. She knew she should have been paying attention, but she couldn't help it at some points. Thankfully, Jerry noticed and gave her a soft nudge every time she zoned out.

Kim stood to wrap up the service as the funeral procession bearers closed up the coffin. Instead of draping an American flag over the casket though, they laid their own designed flag over top, showing that Jason had died a member of Seaford's army.

Kim turned to the audience and said, "We will never forget Jason Hunter, the loyal brother, friend, and soldier. But we pass him on to a better life, one free of pain and fear, and we hope to see him again some day."

Kim paused for a moment of silence as the procession took the casket down the stage stairs and up the aisle so they could take it outside to be buried. Only family and friends were going to attend that part and Kim had to go to the Council of Five meeting after everyone had been dismissed. When the casket had left the auditorium, Kim said in a quiet voice, "Troops dismissed," before making her way off the stage with Jerry and Eddie and Milton's assistant following her.

Kim pushed her way through the crowd of people that were all trying to leave the auditorium at once, her mind feeling slightly numb and hollow after this ceremony. Somewhere deep in her head, Kim knew she had to push aside those feelings and get ready for her meeting with the Council, even if it was just with her friends.

Kim finally reached the hallways and she stepped aside, out of the steady flow of people so she could shift through her papers and make sure everything was there. Once she was sure she had all of her information, Kim started to make her way towards the infirmary. She had lost Jerry, Eddie, and Milton's assistant, Lazea somewhere in the crowd, but they had ten minutes until the meeting was supposed to start so Kim didn't worry.

Kim ducked into the infirmary and looked around. The two wounded soldiers from Troop One were still in their beds, both sound asleep. Kim could see the door to Milton's office on the other side of the room was slightly ajar with light pouring out of it. Kim started to walk over, sighing heavily as her mind drifted to Jack.

Kim gave a short knock on Milton's door before nudging it open with the heel of her hand.

"Milton?" Kim called into the office. "Milton, are you-"

Kim cut short her question, her gaze finding the figure sitting in a chair across from Milton. Kim had obviously come into their conversation, but that didn't matter at the moment to her. The figure turned and flashed her a large smile.

"Hey, Kim."

"Jack!" Kim cried, flying across the room and throwing herself on top of him. Kim buried her face into the crook of his neck as she clung to him like a lifeline.

Jack wound his arms around her and pulled her closer, holding her tightly and burying his face against her shoulder as well.

Kim breathed Jack's scent in, he smelled of Old Spice and warmth, and he just smelled like Jack. It was a comfort to Kim, she could just lean into him and she felt like she would just melt and that the rest of the world could wait. But deep down, Kim knew that the world couldn't wait and that it needed her. She resurfaced from Jack's shoulder and left a kiss on his cheek. Jack wiggled around so she could fit comfortably next to him.

Milton was smirking at the two of them before he shook his head and looked to Kim.

"Did you come to get me for the Council meeting?"

Kim nodded. "And to see if Jack was up, which is now obvious, so we can all go over together." Kim glanced at Jack. "That is, if you feel well enough."

Jack nodded. "I feel fine. But it's up to Milton to clear me to go of course."

Milton scoffed as he stood to make his way out of the office.

"What does it matter what I say? You would just ignore me and come anyway. I may be your doctor but that doesn't mean a thing when it comes to you listening to me."

The three of them laughed as they made their way out of the office and down towards a vacant meeting room that was just down the hall. As they walked there, Kim slipped her hand into Jack's as he and Milton carried on in a conversation. Kim couldn't help but let her mind wander to the very possible scenario of what might have happened had she lost Jack in that fight. Shaking her head slightly, Kim decided then and there that no matter what, she wouldn't lose Jack, even if it cost her the world.

* * *

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm still here! I'm so so sorry that this took forever to upload! I've had a lot of mini prompts I was doing and another story I was writing and blah blah blah. But yeah. Here's a shitty chapter that I apologize profusely for. I will try to upload the next chapter quicker this time. R&R love you all!**


	5. Something Old, Something Lost

Upon entering the Council's meeting room, Jerry and Eddie shot to there feet and scrambled over to Jack, relief evident in their eyes as the greeted him, careful of his shoulder. Kim felt like kicking herself, remembering how carelessly she had thrown herself at Jack. But Kim pushed that aside. They had bigger matters to deal with at the moment.

After everyone had been reunited, Kim ordered the boys to their seats so the meeting could begin. She shut the door and walked over to the wall holding the whiteboard that they used often times during meetings.

"All right. So it's obvious that we have a piece of good news today. Jack was found, along with Lillian and both returned to us and Jack is up and about again." Here Kim left a firm squeeze on Jack's good shoulder as she stood near him.

"But, there is also news that might not be so heart-warming. Earlier, Eddie, Jerry, and I were talking about the attack at Marilyn and Sidney, and we analyzed some things and came up with a theory.

The first is one about the infected. Jack, you remember how the infected stabbed you with the rail, how that seemed abnormal and out of character. Well, Eddie thinks that maybe the infected aren't all the same. The virus is made of two characteristics, zombie, and vampire. We've always assumed that the infected moved like zombies and were basically brain-dead like zombies. But this infected showed capable movement and thinking skills by using that rail. So either there are two types of infected and we've seen only the one up until now, or the infected are developing due to the virus instead of decaying."

Jack and Milton, who had yet to hear this news, looked pale. Jack was staring at the table in front of him and not saying a word. Milton, however, looked up at Kim and said, "What are we going to do?"

Kim leaned forwards onto the table, looking down at the polish wood beneath her before answering. "For once, I'm not entirely sure. But I've got an idea, a crazy idea." Kim looked up at the expectant faces around her, even Jack's which surprised her as he was usually in charge.

"Milton, do you think there is anyway that you could possibly develop something that could reverse the effects of the ZV-virus? If you could, it could give us a fighting chance at gaining more ground against them."

Milton leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "I could possibly think of something. But testing it would be difficult."

"That's where the crazy part comes in," Kim said.

Jerry shot to his feet slammed his hands to the table. "Kim, you aren't actually thinking about capturing an infected alive and bringing it back here, are you? That's crazy and dangerous! Those things are unpredictable! We risk losing everything if we do that!"

Kim held up a hand to stop her friend's worries. "No, Jerry, I'm not going to bring an infected into the school, I'm not that desperate. The crazy part, is that whenever Milton needs testing done, we are going to go out and test in the field."

Jerry sat down slowly, his eyes wide and disbelieving. Eddie sat forward this time, concern etched all over his face. "Kim, you realize that if the testing involves getting close to the infected and possibly even injecting it with a needle, there's the high possibility of losing the soldier responsible for doing that."

Kim nodded gravely. "I do realize that. Which is why that's going to be our fall back, getting up close. I was going to try and have Bryn shoot the object, if it happens to be an injection, from his rifle. It's much safer that way and I trust Bryn to make the shot."

Kim looked around the Council room, eyes sweeping her friends as they all contemplated and calculated the pros and cons of this plan.

"Remember, all of this is based off of whether or not Milton can get an antidote into existence," Kim reminded them. "We won't be doing anything crazy until that. Well, nothing crazier than usual."

The room was silent for a long time, everyone thinking over how much was at risk, how much was riding on this one hope that all depended on whether or not there was in fact a cure that Milton could find.

Kim sighed and pushed back from the table, walking over to the whiteboard and uncapping a marker. She leaned onto the board and began to write in large, bold letters across the white expanse. Turning back to the group before her, she scanned their faces. Pointing to the board, she said, "This is all we need to get through. It's what pushed history into the making many times, we learned that. And it's gotten us this far, hasn't it? So this is what we are going to hold onto, what I will make you hold onto if you even dare to try and let go."

The previously unsure and solemn faces around her immediately began to shift into faces of determination and confidence. Kim smiled around at her friends, knowing she had lifted them up.

"Now, I think that's enough for one night. This meeting is over."

Milton helped Jack to his feet and after Kim bid them both goodnight, they headed back to the infirmary. Jerry and Eddie both bid Kim a goodnight before heading off to bed. Kim stayed a moment to straighten up the chairs and make sure none of her papers were left behind before she started out of the room. Glancing over her shoulder at the board, Kim smiled and flipped off the lights before closing the door behind her.

* * *

Kim was back in her office, straightening up her desk before she was going to head for the gym so she could sleep. Yawning largely, Kim shoved a drawer back into place with her hip as she flicked off her desk lamp and headed for the door.

She was reaching for the knob when suddenly the door flew in towards her, almost taking her nose off. Stumbling back, Kim narrowed her eyes at the intruder, ready to yell at whatever ignorant trainee had barged into her private office.

Taking a breath to start yelling, Kim stopped short.

"Diana? Bryn? What is the meaning of this? What's going on?" Kim could feel her anger fading into anxiety as she took in the panicked faces of her soldiers.

Diana caught her breath first, looking Kim dead in the eye as she gasped out, "It's Evaline Hunter, General. She's gone missing."

"What?" Kim said, disbelief coursing through her body. "What happened? How do you know?"

"Diana and I had night watch patrol," Bryn began. "We were patrolling the hallways and met with our replacements about ten minutes ago. And then, when we got back to the gym, we started the routine headcount. We knew where the Council was so we didn't worry about that but we came up one short after that. We looked around and Evaline was the one missing."

"And you're sure she's not on patrolling duty? Or in the bathroom? Or just wandering around? She could be on the roof," Kim was desperate, not wanting to accept that she had just lost another soldier, especially since it was Jason's sister.

Diana shook her head. "We looked in all those places and we couldn't find her."

Kim began pacing up and down her office, chewing on her bottom lip. "She wouldn't be stupid enough to leave the school alone, or grief-stricken enough. Would she? I thought she had a companion with her to watch her. What happened to that soldier, Tara, was it?"

Bryn shook his head and shrugged. "Tara is as clueless as us. She says that Evaline must have left while she was asleep."

"Alright. I hate to do this but it can't wait until morning. Bryn, go and gather up our Corp, quickly. Try not to cause too much excitement while you're doing it though. Diana, I need you to find Major Eddie and Lieutenant Jerry and tell them what's going on. Go, fast."

Diana and Bryn rushed off down the hallway as Kim slung her bow and quiver into place and strapped her pistol to her hip. Forgetting about her fatigue in her sudden rush of adrenaline, Kim sprinted off towards the front doors, finding that Bryn had already gathered Aaron, Holly, and Michael and Diana was approaching behind Kim with Jerry and Eddie hard on her heels.

"Ready your weapons, we don't know what we are going to find," Kim instructed her Corp as she turned to Jerry and Eddie.

"Keep the school on lockdown, and try to keep the rumors contained, we don't want to cause too much excitement. Send Tara to Milton so he can look after her, she's probably feeling guilty and could possibly be in shock. If we aren't back by seven o'clock tomorrow morning, look for us within a five-mile radius of the school, no farther. Is that understood?"

Jerry and Eddie exchanged wary glances before nodding hesitantly. Kim sighed and rested a hand on each other her friend's shoulders. "Look, I know you guys. But stick to my instructions and keep the troops under control. If we don't come back and you follow my orders, you guys can make it, especially since you've got Jack."

Eddie nodded and started to head off after giving Kim a quick hug goodbye. Jerry, however, lingered.

"Is there anything you want me to pass on to Jack if you don't come back?" he asked in a low voice.

Kim looked down at her boots, her chest constricting. There was so much she wanted Jerry to say for her in case she didn't come back. She wanted to say how much she loved Jack, how even though they were caught in this situation which made it nearly impossible to hold onto a relationship, they somehow managed to hold on. But Kim simply shook her head, biting her lip.

"Just tell him to keep going, that it's what I would want him to do," she whispered, her voice husky.

Jerry seemed to understand and he gave her a weak smile. "Go kick some arse, Kim. I know you guys will make it back."

Kim smiled at Jerry and nodded, adjusting her gun.

"Hold the fort, Jerry," Kim said, saluting her friend before leading her troop out into the dark, infected streets of Seaford.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my gosh guys don't hate me for taking forever and then posting a short and crappy chapter. My muse completely crashed and I'm trying...please be patient with me. . R&R if you feel like it, I always appreciate it. Thanks for sticking with me. Love you all.**


	6. When it all Falls Apart

Kim and her Corp crept stealthily through the dark, deserted streets of Seaford, all of them tense and alert, despite the late hour. The adrenaline rush that came with an emergency like this pushed them forwards, all of them desperate to find Evaline and return to the haven of the school.

Bryn pulled up next to Kim and they glanced at each other, not needing to say anything to each other to understand how high their anxieties were running.

"We'll start by taking the main road and see where that gets us. I don't know where else she could be. Does anyone know-"

Kim immediately cut her sentence short, straightening up and holding out a hand for her Corp to stop as well. Kim's hand instinctively went to the pistol at her hip as her eyes narrowed and she listened carefully for a sound she wasn't entirely sure she had heard.

Next to her, Bryn hefted his long-range rifle and glanced at Kim expectantly. Behind her, a chorus of clicking guns sounded, telling her that her Corp had also prepared their weapons. Kim heard the soft sound again and whirled around, pointing her gun past Aaron and Michael who were bringing up the rear. Kim then lowered her weapon slightly, her eyes widening.

"Holy crap," she muttered.

Kim's Corp whirled around to look where Kim was looking, all of them stumbling back a step or two after they registered what they were seeing. Kim grabbed hold of Holly, the closest to her and started to shove her backwards.

"Run," she said, her voice husky. "Run!"

Holly obeyed Kim's order and immediately started sprinting, the rest of the Corp following her quickly.

Kim looked over her shoulder as she brought up the rear, not believing what she was seeing.

Infected, running. The familiar discolored skin and piercing red eyes where all still the same but these seemed to be much more advanced and fluid in movement as they gained on Kim's Corp.

Turning back to the road they were running down, Kim shouted up to Holly who was leading the group.

"Holly! Take us into the cemetery, we can hide among the headstones and possibly lose them!"

Holly waved her hand in the air to show she had heard before ducking off the road and through the rusty iron gates of the Seaford cemetery. The ground here was weaker than anywhere else and a constant musty fog hung over the area.

Kim started to move deeper into the cemetery, calling out to her Corp.

"Split up and use the fog and bigger headstones to hide yourselves. Don't leave the cemetery alone and regroup at the front gate in a half an hour. Go!"

Kim watched as her Corp divided up before she raced off towards the back of the cemetery, the fog swallowing her up quickly and obscuring her view of anything more than a few feet in front of her.

Rustling nearby sent Kim diving behind a large tombstone where she pressed up against the cold rock and drew her gun, readying it to fire in case the approaching thing was in fact an infected. Risking a peek around the edge of the roughly cut stone, Kim stopped short.

The infected was approaching her hiding spot, it's malicious eyes sweeping through the thick fog, the only thing giving it away was the irregular breathing pattern it seems to have. Kim listened as the soft shuffle of its feet through the dry grass stopped. Cocking her gun, Kim quickly straightened up and aimed her pistol at where she had last seen the infect.

Before her finger even brushed the trigger though, she stopped. The infected was gone. Kim furrowed her brow and moved to turn around so she could slump back down against the cold stone. As she turned, Kim found herself face to face with the infected.

Kim let out a piercing scream and fell backwards over the headstone, landing roughly on her back. Kim sat up, slightly dazed and started to scramble backwards, her hands desperately searching for her gun. The infected still stood on the other side of the headstone, it's eyes piercing her. Kim aimed her gun and fired a shot.

The infected moved with impossible speed, dodging the bullet and appearing in front of Kim to knock the gun from her hand. The infected hunched over her, pinning Kim to the dry ground. Kim stared up into the crimson colored eyes and felt her heart pounding erratically against her ribs.

The infected tilted its head ever so slightly to the side and started to lean forwards, it's lips parting to reveal crooked and uneven fangs lining its mouth. Kim tried to push into the ground, her heart hammering harder with ever second that seemed to pass sluggishly.

Kim squeezed her eyes shut tight and pressed into the ground, her mind racing. She suddenly felt the soft brush of the fangs against the skin of her neck. Kim's breathing quickened and she screamed again.

The ground suddenly gave a loud crack beneath her. Kim's eyes shot open and the infected straightened up, confusion flitting across it's discolored features. Suddenly, the ground crumbled away beneath them and Kim felt herself falling. She was weightless, and then suddenly she was slammed into the hard packed earth.

Kim banged her head on a rock, causing her to curl in on herself and clutch her temples with a groan. The world began to spin wildly and the last thing she made sense of before falling into dizzying blackness was the twisted and limp body of the infected that had been attacking her.

* * *

Bryn's head shot up from where he was curled up behind a headstone. His eyes darted around as his ears strained to pick up any sound. He could have sworn that he had heard a scream. Bryn shot to his feet and started running through the uneven headstones.

It wasn't long before another scream followed, pushing Bryn to run even faster. Suddenly he slammed into something and was thrown backwards by the impact, landing on the marshy grass. Hefting his rifle, Bryn stopped short.

"Diana!" Bryn cried, scrambling to his feet and extending a hand to hoist her to her feet. Diana grudgingly grasped his hand and pulled herself up, looking around through narrowed eyes.

"You heard that scream too?" Bryn asked, trying to see if he could pick up any other noises.

Diana nodded. "Yeah. Definitely a girl, and if it wasn't me, that means it was either Holly or the General."

Bryn and Diana exchanged worried glances before hefting their guns and starting towards where the sound had come from. The two of them pulled up short however when they found the place the scream had come from.

"Holy crap," Bryn muttered. "What the hell happened here?"

A large expanse of ground had given away, leaving a large gaping hole in the earth. It looked like it should have been the site of a grave, a headstone with a collection of odd symbols decorating the marker nearest the hole.

Bryn inched forwards, Diana watching him warily. Peering down, Bryn gasped. The earth beneath the hole was hollow and tunnel like, seeming to shoot off in two different directions, both ending quickly in darkness. Directly underneath the gaping hole Bryn could see the broken body of an infected and someone else.

"Kim!" Bryn cried out, dropping to his knees.

"Bryn!" Diana cried. "Be careful! The rest of the ground could give out if you aren't cautious."

Bryn glanced back at Diana, his eyes large with worry. "Kim isn't answering me. I can't tell if she's still…"

Bryn didn't finish his sentence, already seeing desperation creeping into Diana's eyes.

"Diana? Bryn?" came a girl's voice. Bryn's head whipped around to look down at Kim. But the blonde hadn't moved. Diana whirled around and found Holly, Aaron and Michael appearing through the fog, Holly having been the one to call out.

"Diana! Bryn!" Holly said, relief coating her voice. "What are you guys doing? Are you alright?" Holly's green eyes were large with worry, scanning the two of them quickly.

"We're fine. But Kim's down there and I can't tell if she's still alive. She's not answering me."

Holly immediately rushed over to Bryn's side, not taking notice of the weakened ground. Looking over the scene, Holly nodded.

"Michael! Do you have that rope you were carrying earlier?"

Michael nodded and came forward, loosening the coil of rope from his belt and handing it to Holly. Holly dropped one end down into the hole and handed the other end to Bryn.

"Aaron, Michael, Diana, help Bryn hold onto the rope while I go down and get Kim." Holly tied the rope tightly around her waist and started to lower herself over the edge as the rest of the Corp took hold of the rope. They quickly got Holly down to the bottom and watched anxiously as she looked over Kim.

Holly held Kim's head steady as she examined her, rolling her carefully over. Holly suppressed a gasp as she found a pool of blood beneath Kim's head. The back of Kim's blonde head was stained red from what Holly could only place as a blow to the head. Looking up at the anxious faces above her, Holly called out.

"She's hit her head rather hard. She's still alive but we've got to get back quickly. I'm going to attach her to the rope and I need you guys to be extremely careful when you're pulling her up."

Holly undid the rope from her waist and tied it firmly around Kim's middle, pulling the knot tight. Giving a thumbs up, Holly watched them pull Kim's limp form up and over the edge, taking care to lay her down gently before tossing the rope back down to Holly.

Holly was soon up with the rest of the group. She worried her lower lip between her teeth as the slightly brighter light revealed the blood coating Kim's head. Holly knelt down and began to wrap up the wound.

"I don't want to do too much since I don't know the expanse of the wound and out here is not the best place to treat this wound. Aaron and Diana, carry her between you and mind her head. Lucky for us, the school isn't even a mile from here."

Aaron and Diana carefully took Kim up between them, steadying her limp form as they started out of the cemetery. Holly tensed at the low rumble behind them, reminding her that there had been two infected chasing them.

Holly silently ushered the Corp faster, leading them free of the cemetery and out of the murky fog back to the main road. Once the school was back in their sights, Bryn cursed loudly and kicked at a lose pebble.

"This entire mission and we didn't even find Evaline. All we did was get chased by a pair of abnormal infected and have Kim get injured. Some elite team of soldiers we are," Bryn muttered.

Diana looked around from where she was carrying Kim and sighed. "As much as we want to believe it, we aren't really soldiers. We're just a bunch of kids who have been forced to fight for survival. The fact that we have actually managed to accomplish anything at all is in and of itself amazing. Don't be so hard on yourself, this battle of ours is already lost anyways."

Diana's words brought a heavy gloom over the group, defeat beginning to show through their normally tough exteriors.

"You're wrong," came a soft voice. Everyone looked over at Michael with wide eyes. Michael had just spoken for the first time among them.

"W-what?" Diana stuttered.

"You're wrong," Michael repeated. "The battle isn't lost. It may seem hopeless now, but the reality is, we still have an entire school full of soldiers that we are going back to. We've lost Jason and Evaline is missing, sure. But we are all still here. Kim wouldn't be giving up in defeat right now if one of us were in her place. She'd be urging us to keep going, and making plans for later. Remember her policy. Never go backwards, digression is the opposite of progression. Kim and Jack managed to turn a whole school filled with untrained, frightened teens and kids into an army worthy of the actual military. The fact that we have made it this far is amazing, like Diana said. But we did it ourselves and we can keep going. Don't give up, because if Kim finds out when she wakes up, she's going to pound you into a pulp."

Michael's words seemed to stir everyone back into their normal active and confident selves. Holly smiled and laid a hand on Michael's shoulder and squeezed. Diana and Bryn exchanged a glance, their eyes sparkling with newfound strength. Aaron had a small smile across his face as he carried Kim.

"Michael's right," Holly said. "We can't give up, especially not on Kim. She pulled us all up from our lowest and turned us into strong, skilled fighters. We can do this. Now, let's get Kim back and Milton and I will fix her up."

As the group approached the school, confidence still running through them, Diana suddenly stopped, looking at Kim in terror.

"Holly!" she cried. "I don't think Kim's breathing!"

Holly whirled around, her eyes wide. Pressing two fingers to Kim's throat, Holly desperately searched for a pulse.

"No, no, no," she muttered. "Shit! Michael, Bryn! Go tell them to let us in, hurry!"

Bryn and Michael rushed up to the nearby school and began pounding on the doors, calling out desperately.

Soon the doors were flung open and Holly led Aaron and Diana through with Kim still between them.

"Bryn! Run down to the infirmary and warn Milton so he's ready. Michael, go find the Lieutenant and Major, tell them what's happened, go!"

Holly watched them rush off as she led Aaron and Diana quickly through the empty halls since it was still extremely early in the morning.

Holly was met at the door to the infirmary by a panic stricken Milton. His eyes raked over Kim's limp form and he gestured to the room off to the side where they treated the wounded.

After Aaron and Diana set Kim down, Milton started working to get her pulse back as Holly led the two out of the room.

"I'll come and find you guys when I have news," she whispered somberly to them. A she turned to head back to assist Milton, Holly found Jack standing near the door to the treatment room. His hand was pressed against the wall, curled into a fist with white knuckles prominent against his tanned skin. Jack's jaw was set and his eyes hard.

Holly rested her hand briefly on his shoulder before she started to close the door behind her. Pausing, Holly looked back at Jack.

"We won't let her go without a fight, General."

As Holly closed the door all the way, the last thing she saw was Jack's stony expression crumple into tears.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so to make up for the recent hiatus, here's a quick update for you guys, hopefully a more entertaining chapter. Thank you all so much for the reviews, I really do appreciate them! R&R and enjoy!**


	7. Face of the Enemy

Jack couldn't help himself any longer. As Holly closed the door, separating him from Kim's lifeless form, Jack broke down. Slamming his fist against the wall, the brunette dropped to his knees and rested his forehead against the sterile white wall before him. Jack had never felt this broken before, this helpless to do anything to save the girl he had fallen for. Her life and his sanity rested in the hands of Milton, Holly, and the other doctors who had rushed in after Holly.

Jack couldn't hear what was going on beyond the barrier between himself and Kim, but he knew that everyone in there was rushing around in a frenzy, relying completely on Milton, trying to save the beautiful blonde.

Jack flipped over so he could sit with his back pressed up against the wall instead of being on his knees. His head rested against the wall behind him as he stared straight ahead at nothing. Jack's fist clenched and unclenched unconsciously as he waited anxiously. That was how Jerry and Eddie found him when they came bursting into the infirmary.

Jerry looked over at Jack and his shoulders sagged slightly. He knew from Jack's position that things were not looking good and that it had felt like forever. Jerry walked over and hauled Jack to his feet.

"Come on, bro," he said quietly. "Let's go somewhere else and try to think positive."

Jerry and Eddie led a silent and somber Jack through the darkened hallways and up to the second floor. From there they shuffled up to the rooftop of the school and the three boys perched on the edge of the roof, their legs dangling over the edge as they watched the dark indigo morning sky. They sat quietly like that for a long time, the only sound being their individual breathing that fogged up into tiny clouds in the cool morning air.

Jerry was the one who finally broke the silence after what felt like hours sitting in silence.

"Do you remember the time we came up here to pelt people with water balloons on the last day of school freshman year, Jack?"

Jack felt a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he recalled the event. The scene began to unfold in front of him as he gave a short huff of air that qualified as a laugh.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I remember Mrs. Applebaum came storming up here soaking wet and furious with us after we hit her with one. We both got detention for a week after school for that."

Jerry smirked and tapped his knee with his fingers, a habit that developed through him trying to concentrate on remembering something. It used to normal make an appearance during tests and exams or even just in class when a teacher called on him. Nowadays, Jack mainly saw it happening whenever they sat as a Council and tried to plan out taking down infected. Jack's small smile began to slip slowly from his face as his mind left the past and came back towards reality.

Jerry glanced over at his best friend, practically his brother, and noticed the slipping smile. He knew he was losing Jack again and desperately tried to recall any memories that might help Jack take his mind off of the current events and off of Kim.

Jerry suddenly remembered another funny event the two of them had shared and eagerly turned to Jack and Eddie.

"Hey! You guys remember that time Milton had us all dress up in those ridiculous medieval costumes and battle all those nerds in the park?" Jerry couldn't keep the smile that spilt across his face as he remembered that day.

Eddie chuckled on the other side of Jack as he remembered too. "Oh yeah, I remembered those weird ears he made me wear that practically melted to my face it was so hot."

The smile began to creep back onto Jack's face as he chuckled softly. "I don't remember part of it since I ran face first into an oak tree."

Jerry snorted at that and covered his mouth as he laughed at the memory.

Jack turned to him and lightly punched his friend's shoulder. "Hey man shut up! I wasn't the one who thought a porcupine was a ground hog!"

Eddie burst into laughter next to Jack and Jerry's face started to become tinged with pink even though he was laughing right alongside his friends. Jack looked out over the quiet suburban spread before them as his laughter died down into suppressed chuckles. As he took in the misty pre-dawn view, Jack felt a nostalgic tug in his chest, a deep and impossible longing for the old days. Days where the sun would definitely shine down on Seaford and he could sit at Phil's with his gang and reminisce about their adventures together like they were doing now.

Jack felt his smile slip from his face as he thought about Kim. He remembered their first date being at Phil's because they wanted it to be somewhere that was special to them. Jack's vision began to blur with the tears that were welling in his eyes as he thought of Kim downstairs now, her life hanging in the balance.

Jerry looked over at Jack to remind him of another particularly funny adventure of theirs, but stopped short when he saw his friend's face. Jerry closed his mouth and laid a firm hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack looked up at Jerry and wiped his eyes.

"She'll be okay, Jack. Kim won't go down without a fight, even if this one can't be one by throwing a punch. And Milton and Holly are down their helping her. There's no way she can lose."

Jack nodded and turned back to the landscape in front of him. Jerry knew that Jack wouldn't be himself again until he saw Kim up and about for himself. Jerry was about to suggest they go down and check on Kim's status when Jack suddenly shot to his feet beside him. Jerry followed him, scrambling to his feet as Eddie did too.

"Jack?" Jerry asked, alarmed.

Jack's gaze was fixed intently on something in the distance but he said, "Does anyone else see that person standing there, or is it just me?"

Jerry and Eddie scanned the spread before them, trying to follow Jack's gaze to where he was indicating. Jerry's sweeping eyes stopped, catching sight of the figure. Looking over, he saw that Eddie had found it too.

"Yeah, I see them," Jerry said slowly. "Should we go after them?"

Jack and Jerry were in full gear, Eddie though was not. Jack glanced at Eddie before looking over at Jerry and then back to the figure.

"Eddie, you okay with staying behind and letting everyone know where we are?" Jack said as he unfastened a rope from his belt.

Eddie turned sharply to his friends, eyes wide. "Whoa, wait. You can't be serious, Jack. Just the two of you against a mysterious thing that we know nothing about? That, and are you even cleared to be going out in the field yet, Jack?"

"I'll have Jerry to look after me and I know my limits. Besides, Jerry and I can handle ourselves anyway, Eddie," Jack tried to reason as he unwound the rope and started tying it to a support hook sticking out from the rooftop.

Eddie sighed and stepped back reluctantly. Eyeing his friends as they readied themselves to slide down over the edge, he bit his lower lip anxiously.

"If anything happens to you guys while you're out there, you know the blame falls to me for letting you go, right?"

Jack smirked at Eddie and tested the rope. "Don't worry. I'll make sure I take the blame Eddie. We'll be fine."

Eddie watched as his two best friends slid over the edge of the rooftop, one after other, before shaking his head and heading back inside the school.

* * *

As soon as Jack and Jerry hit the ground, they took off running in the direction of the figure they had seen. As they ran, the boys pulled out their weapons, readying them as they sprinted down the uneven pavement. Jack cocked his gun after checking to make sure he was loaded on ammo and Jerry did the same with his, clutching the grip tightly as adrenaline shot through his body.

Jack knew the crossroad streets that the figure had been standing near and he nudged Jerry quickly to the left as they took the sharp turn. As they continued running, Jerry glanced over at Jack.

"What do you think it is? A person? Or an infected?"

Jack said nothing for a moment, continuing to run, well aware of Jerry's expectant gaze locked on him. After a stretched out moment of silence, Jack sighed.

"I'm not entirely sure what it is. But if I had to guess, I would say it's a human, a weird one, but probably human."

Jerry, seeming satisfied that at least Jack had given the situation some thought before leading him away from the sanctuary of the school, nodded and directed his attention back to running alongside Jack.

Soon the two boys found the street that the figure had been spotted at. They scanned the street up and down, but there was no sign of anyone but themselves of ever having been there. Growing increasingly frustrated, Jack stormed up and down the short street again, ducking in between houses and checking behind bushes. Jerry watched Jack for a moment, worried and agitated about being outside with a not so mentally stable General.

Suddenly, a soft tap sounded behind Jerry, causing him to whirl around, his gun being brought up and cocked to fire as he did so. What Jerry saw confused him. The figure was standing about two houses down from where Jerry was, their back turned to him. A long wave of brown hair tumbled down their back, leading Jerry to assume it was a girl. But as Jerry looked closer, he took in the slender frame, familiar clothing, and the belt, normally filled with weapons, now empty. Jerry had seen this view, slightly different though, from behind many times while he was walking around the training groups, and in the hallways.

Jerry looked over his shoulder and called out quietly but sharply, "Jack!"

Jack looked up from where he was pushing aside some shrubberies and froze. This was definitely the figure. He released the plants and pulled out his gun, readying it to fire and switching off the safety as he pulled up next to Jerry.

"Who are you?" Jack called, not sure if he should sound menacing or curious, causing his voice to come out sounding rather nervous. The girl didn't turn around, she didn't even twitch or acknowledge their presence in anyway.

"Jack," Jerry muttered, not taking his gaze off the girl. "It's Evaline. Evaline Hunter, the one Kim's Corp went after."

Jack shot a glance at Jerry, trying to suppress the sudden onslaught of emotions that followed the mention of Kim's name. "How do you know?"

Jerry nodded towards the girl. "Just look at her. That's what Evaline was last seen in, her belt there is obviously supposed to be filled with weapons but as you can see, it's not. And I've seen her from the back plenty of times when I was viewing training sessions. I know it's her."

Jack nodded, convinced by Jerry's certainty. He took a few hesitant steps forward, lowering his gun slightly, but keeping it at the ready, just in case.

"Evaline?" Jack called out to the girl who had yet to acknowledge their presence. "Evaline is that you? It's General Jack and Lieutenant Jerry. Are you okay?"

Jerry and Jack waited with baited breath, hoping beyond all hope that this girl really was Evaline. The girl slowly began to turn her head, the rest of her body following as she turned around. The boys could feel their hearts hammering against their chests as they waited for the girl to turn all the way around.

But the girl stopped, her body angled, turned slightly more towards them but her face still hidden from view. Jerry began worrying the inside of his cheek between his teeth and licking his lips, a habit of nervousness her often portrayed. Jack was trying hard not to shift his feet or shuffle backwards, trying to maintain his resolve.

The girl began whispering something softly, her voice carried on the wind. Jerry and Jack shuddered, their eyes widening as they realized she was singing a little haunting tune.

"_Sunny days, bright blue sky, never lasting long. Dreary days, for one to die, because he didn't belong. Two's a bond, bound by love, always staying strong. One's alone, cut apart, the partner lost in the throng."_

Jerry and Jack looked at one another in horror as the girl began chuckling coldly, her slender shoulders shaking with the laugh. She was well aware of Jerry and Jack's fear and she was obviously using it to prey on them. Jack backed up quickly to stand next to Jerry, desperately trying not to shake as violently as he wanted.

The girl turned her head suddenly, looking over her shoulder at the boys. Her eyes were completely consumed by a garish red glow and her face was painted with a crooked, ghastly smile. The rest of her body followed her around as she locked the frightened teens under her gaze. Taking a few steps forwards she laughed hauntingly.

"Hello, General, Lieutenant," she spoke as if her voice were double and her throat raspy. "I think you've already figure out that I am indeed Evaline. But you see, I'm not. I'm a better version of her. I'm stronger, faster, and much more capable in many ways than I used to be."

Jerry wanted to scream so badly but he knew that would only encourage her sense of confidence over holding the two of them in their place. Jack managed to regain his composure first and he grabbed Jerry's arm, shoving him sideways towards the houses. "Run!"

The boys scrambled into the yard and leapt over the fence into the backyard before leaping over the back part of the fence and landing in a cornfield. Evaline's terrible laughter followed them all the way.

"Go, run you little cowards. Go and tell your pathetic little army that they now have a force to be reckoned with."

Jerry and Jack sprinted through the dead corn stalks, the rough, dry leaves scraping and scratching at their faces and arms. Jerry muttered something about horrific events always happening in cornfields as they ran.

As Jack pushed his way through a large grouping of brittle leaves, he found himself face to face with Evaline. Jack cried out and tried to scrambled backwards, bumping into Jerry as he did. Jack fumbled for his gun but found himself suddenly pinned to the ground by Evaline. Jerry tried to help get Evaline off of Jack but she easily threw a punch to his stomach, winding him as he collapsed to the ground.

"Jerry!" Jack called out desperately, unable to help his friend and feeling completely useless.

Evaline sat on top of Jack and smirked down at him, her crooked smile extremely frightening. "Well, well, here lies the mighty General Jack Brewer. I told you I was better than before. And it looks like I'm even better than you ever were."

"Evaline," Jack wheezed out, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe as she was perched on his sternum. "Why are you doing this? What happened to you?"

"Why? Well dear Jackie, I'm doing this for revenge. No, wait. That's too childish. Oh no, no. I'm doing this for retribution. Yes that's much better. This, all of this, what's about to happen and what will happen, is all for retribution. Retribution for taking my brother, my best friend, away from me."

"Evaline," Jack said desperately. "We didn't kill him! He died fighting the infected, he died honorably."

"Don't give me that crap!" Evaline roared. "You took him from me long before he was dead. Kimberly was the one who took him away, and you helped. From the moment you saved us, he belonged to you. He excelled at fighting where I fell short and was soon inducted into your Corp. He forgot all about his poor, helpless little sister who loved him and needed him, and devoted himself nobly to you and your lost cause. You took him from me, and you will be the ones to pay! I started by sending out my precious little minion to take out your little blonde lovebird."

Jack's chest ignited with fury and he lashed out desperately trying to free himself. But Evaline was indeed much stronger and she slammed him easily into the dry earth, dazing him.

"Now, now General," she hissed, pouring all of her contempt and hatred into that one mocking word. "Careful, I need to send you back to your army in one piece. You need to tell them about how they have a new enemy. I figured out how to become an infected when they are at their peak strength of the mixture of the two creatures inside of them. And I think that my forces may surpass yours in numbers astronomically."

Evaline's weight suddenly disappeared from Jack's chest and he rolled over, coughing. He pushed himself up unsteadily and rushed over to Jerry. Looking around, he found that Evaline had vanished, leaving a ghostly and dark laugh behind her.

Jack and Jerry stumbled up to the school, fear and adrenaline still coursing through the two of them, causing them to shake as they tried to walk straight. Before they even reached the doors, Eddie burst through them and got under Jerry's other side, helping Jack with his weight.

"What happened to you two?" Eddie questioned in astonishment as they entered the school.

Jack tried to answer his friend but found himself unable to get his voice to work. Eddie seemed to understand and resigned to helping Jack get Eddie to the infirmary. It was only when Jack and Eddie set Jerry down on an empty bed that Jack remembered Kim's condition.

Whirling around to face the door she was hidden behind, Jack's desperation began to overwhelm him. He found himself unable to control his emotions due to the shock Evaline had given him. As he was about to rush to the door, Milton opened the treatment room's door and came out into the main room, shutting the door behind him. He looked up from where he was pulling off his gloves and found Jack's desperate gaze.

Milton looked around at the faces of his three friends and sighed before falling into a nearby chair. He seemed to be trying to find the right words, exhaustion written clearly across his features.

"Kim is…"

* * *

**A/N: Okay please don't kill me for this being so late. I love you guys for being patient with me! And I know I say this every time and you guys tell me to stop, but seriously, I don't even know with this chapter. It's terrible. I'm sorry. I hope you guys like it. R&R I always appreciate it! Love you all!**

****EDIT** NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE FILLED WITH KICK SO DON'T FRET MY DARLINGS! I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE KICK!**


	8. A Time and A Place

"Kim is…" Milton trailed off, running a hand across his face in exhaustion as he searched for the right words to continue his statement. His friends were standing anxiously around him, all of them holding their breath, hoping for the best yet fearing the worst.

Jack, unable to bear the suspense any longer, rushed past the chair Milton was sitting in and burst through the door to the treatment room.

"Jack! Wait!" Milton called after him, getting up quickly and following his friend into the smaller room. Milton stopped short in the doorway, finding Jack frozen just inside the room and staring at the treatment table. All of the nurses had already left the room before Milton, and the room was empty save for the patient lying on the table.

Kim was lying flat on the sterile surface, her blonde hair splayed out around her head like a halo. The top of her head was wrapped tightly in stark white bandages that contrasted with her soft pale skin. There were multiple wires sticking out of her arms and a breathing mask had been set over her mouth and nose. Kim's eyes were still closed and she looked as if she were somewhere between a peaceful slumber and a state of death.

Jack couldn't find it in himself to move any closer or to back away. He was frozen, staring fixatedly at the girl that he had become enraptured with. She looked so small and helpless lying on that table. Jack knew that if she ever found out he thought that, she would punch him across the face.

Jack couldn't believe the amount of equipment in the room, even though he knew that they had gone on that hospital raid after the infection set in for a reason such as this. All the hospitals in Seaford had been abandoned due to all the staff turning into infected and the majority of the patients dying from the odd reaction of their disease and the ZV-virus mixing together inside of them.

Milton's hand resting on Jack's shoulder brought Jack back to the present, where he was still staring forlornly at Kim's still form. He ducked his head and shrugged off his friend, hesitantly stepping towards Kim, desperately wanting her to wake up and take the lead of their army again. Jack would never admit it to anyone but her, but he wasn't a leader. He could act like one, be tough and strong and confident in a fight, but when it came to facing a crowd and keeping them confident and in order and strong, he felt himself crumple beneath the pressure.

Jack drew himself from his thoughts and pulled up next to Kim's side. He looked down at her peaceful face and felt tears pricking at the back of his eyes. He lifted his hand to the table and set it on top of hers. A small shock went up his arm as his hand registered how cold her hand was underneath his large, warm hand.

"Kim," Jack said, his voice cracking with emotion as he said her name. Jack's resolve broke and he dropped to his knees, finally allowing himself to cry. His broad shoulders shook with sobs even as he tried to suppress them. Trails of hot tears ran swiftly down Jack's cheeks, dripping down to the floor as his hand remained locked on top of Kim's cold still one.

Milton, Jerry, and Eddie, who were all standing in the doorway, started to back away and give their friend space. Jerry, however, stopped where Milton and Eddie kept going. Jerry walked over slowly towards Jack. When he stood over his broken friend, Jerry reached out and slid his hand onto Jack's shoulder.

Jack used his free hand to wipe away at his cheeks as he slowly gained control of himself again. It was a few moments of complete stillness as Jerry rested his hand on Jack's shoulder and Jack kept a hand pressed over his face as his tears subsided. Jack finally started to stand up, his head lowered and his shoulders slouched forwards in a burdened pose.

Jerry let his hand slide off his friend's shoulder as Jack stood, but he stayed behind Jack instead of completely moving away. Jerry did however, respectively turn his back when Jack leaned down to leave a gentle kiss on Kim's pale, cold forehead. When Jerry turned back to the scene before him, he found that Jack was already leaving, his steps heavy and shuffling, but he moved quickly despite that, obviously eager to get away and find some peace and quiet so he could deal with his emotions.

Jerry followed Jack out, softly closing the door as he did and trying hard not to look back at Kim as he did. Once the boys were both out in the lobby of the medical center with Milton and Eddie, Milton sat them all down and ran a hand over his face again with a sigh.

"Kim is stable," he finally got out. "She lost quite a bit of blood and it's going to take her a while to recover from that. But later today we are going to move her a private room near my office so we can keep an eye on her. If I had to guess, give her a day or two to wake up and then another two weeks for full recovery. But knowing Kim's stubborn nature, I think she would make sure she was up and about a week after she wakes up."

All the boys gave short laughs at the mention of Kim's nature, all except Jack. He was stone still and staring at the floor, obviously completely removed from the conversation at hand. He stood suddenly and walked out of the room, disappearing down the hallway quickly.

Jerry stood to follow him but found himself stopped by Milton's hand. Milton gave Jerry a knowing look and sighed. "You and Eddie are going to have to make sure the troops are in order and sticking to the training schedule even though our Generals are otherwise occupied. I'll take care of Jack this time. And make sure Kim's Corp is alright and that they don't spread anything about this around."

Jerry and Eddie nodded to Milton and headed out of the medical area to go to the troops as Milton left with them, sending Holly to watch over Kim while he went to talk to Jack.

Milton eventually found Jack standing in the room where the Council met, staring at the whiteboard that Kim had written a single word on, the word that had stirred them and thrown them confidently back into action. It was still written on the board, clear as it had been when Kim had written it almost three days ago.

Milton walked into the room and stood next to Jack's shoulder, looking at the board with him. Sighing, Milton started the conversation by saying, "You don't think she's going to make it?"

Jack looked over at Milton sharply. "Why would you say that? Of course I think she's going to make it! I have to believe that! I can't lose her Milton, she's all that I have…"

Milton turned on Jack and poked his friend square in the chest. "See? Right there. That's why I said it. You doubt yourself, Jack. You imply that if you were to lose Kim, you would fall apart and be unable to function. Well guess what, Jack? It's not just you who depends on Kim, we all do. She's our leader, she's our glue. And as much as we call you our General, for some reason you don't know how to keep us together. We all need Kim and none of us would be able to do anything without her. So think about this, say Kim dies, what then? You fall apart because she's not here and you forget that there's an entire school filled with people who look to you as their next leader. If we don't have you there, ready to take it on, we fall apart and then suddenly, we are all infected."

Jack stared at Milton, dumbfounded. "Where did that come from, Milton?" he asked quietly.

Milton shook his head in exasperation. "Look, Jack, keep up with me here. I'm thinking about the very real possibility of loosing Kim and what's going to happen if we do. Remember when you were wounded? Kim didn't fall apart. She held herself together to call a medic to her side to help you and get you back here. And even when she was worrying over you and probably on the verge of tears, she held together and led a funeral for God's sake and kept the ranks strong and united. I don't know where that went in you, but you've got to pull it together man. You are as much of a leader as she is, and we might need you to take full lead if Kim can't get back on her feet."

Jack sighed and sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands. "I know," he mumbled. "I don't know why I'm so weak or why I feel like I can't lead this people. It was just easier when it was the five of us. When you all trusted me and I knew you guys had my back. I guess I don't feel that with these people, especially after what happened with Evaline, I don't know if there are anymore like her here in the school."

"Wait? What? You found Evaline? Is that were you and Jerry where? Well what happened? Why didn't you bring her back with you?"

Jack had completely forgotten that he and Jerry had yet to tell anyone else about what they had seen with Evaline out in the neighborhood and the cornfield. Jack quickly dove into the story of what had happened earlier that morning when he and Jerry had gone out after figure. He told him about how she had glowing red eyes and looked slightly like an infected with pockmarked and ashen skin.

"But the way she moved, she said she had found a way to immediately go to the peak strength of the two components of the disease inside the body so she was immensely strong and fast. But then she let us go after she caught us. She said that she needed us to go back and tell the troops that she was now leading a force to be reckoned with."

Milton had been listening intently the whole time Jack was recalling the story. Now he let out a mix of a groan and a sigh and ran his hands over his face before slamming his hands onto the table in frustration, startling Jack. "This is the last thing we need," he growled.

Milton and Jack sat silently for a few more moments before Milton stood with effort, letting out a sigh. Jack stood with him and looked at his friend.

"I have to go make sure Kim is moved properly. I'll let you see her if you promise me that if she doesn't make it, you won't fall apart on us and you will be the leader we need you to be."

Jack gave a smirk and clapped his friend's shoulder. "And I'll promise that if you promise to get some sleep after Kim is moved. You look like you're about to drop dead."

Milton laughed and stuck out his hand. "Then we have an accord."

Jack smiled and shook his friend's hand before they both started going back to the medical area.

* * *

It had been a day since Kim was brought back and Jack had barely left her side, as she lay, still unconscious, in the room next to Milton's office. The troops had not been told of Evaline yet, Jack deciding that it would only cause unnecessary chaos among them, something they did not need at the moment. It was decided that after Kim woke up, they would figure out what to do with her.

Jack tried to ignore the constant pit in his stomach and the little voice in the back of his head whispering to him, _but what if Kim never wakes up and you're left to lead these people?_

Jack dropped his head onto the mattress in from of him and squeezed Kim's hand, trying to block out the incessant whispering of doubt in his head. Jack was so busy trying to block out the imaginary noise, that he almost didn't feel the squeeze he got back on his hand.

Jack's head snapped up when he realized Kim was squeezing his hand back. He looked up just in time to see Kim's eyes fluttering open, revealing her stunning green irises to Jack's desperate eyes.

Jack leapt up from his chair and held Kim's hand firmly, joy expanding like a bubble in his chest. "Kim!" he said, his voice cracking with emotion like it had when he had seen her on the table, pale and still. But this time, he felt nothing but joy.

Kim's eyes wandered up to Jack's face with a dazed look to them. "Jack?" she whispered in a scratchy voice. "What-?"

Jack cut her off abruptly as he leaned down to her and pressed his lips against hers, using his free hand to gently cup her face and move it up to his. Kim, surprised by his sudden action tensed but then relaxed and leaned into the kiss, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she did.

Jack pulled away and carefully pressed his forehead to hers as she settled back against the pillows behind her. With a sigh, she looked up at him and whispered, "I missed you too."

Jack kissed her nose and sat back down, inching his chair closer to her. "We almost lost you Kim…" Jack whispered, voice thick with emotion. "I almost lost you." Jack bent his head and pressed his lips to the back of Kim's hand, letting out a shaky breath as he tried to control himself in front of her. Kim gently pulled her hand from Jack's hold and laid it against his cheek. The two looked at each other for a long moment, so much passing between them in such little time.

Their moment of silent communication was broken as the door to Kim's room opened, Milton walking in, looking down at a piece of paper in his hands. Looking up with a sigh as he entered, Milton found Kim and Jack both staring at him, startled.

"Kim!" Milton said in shock. "How long have you been awake? Jack why didn't you come and find me?" Milton gave Jack a stern look as he walked over to Kim's other side and started looking her over.

Jack gave Milton a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Would you forgive me if I told you I got lost in Kim's beautiful eyes leading me to forget?"

Milton rolled his eyes but let the topic drop. After he was sure Kim was all right for the time being, he turned to pick up the paper he had left on the table when he walked in.

"Actually, I'm glad I caught you both at once. Because we have problem," Milton said gravely as he handed the paper off to Jack. Jack read over the paper quickly, his eyes widening as he did. Jack looked up at Milton with disbelieving eyes before reading the note aloud so Kim could know what it said.

"_Generals, my patience is wearing thin as is that of my infected army. The date is three days from now. You either come and fight, or come and surrender yourselves to us. If you fail to arrive by noon, we storm the school. Your choice. Evaline."_

* * *

**A/N: Oh my gosh guys I'm so sorry this is shitty and short and that it took forever to upload. I had a lot of shit going on. I love you all for sticking with me. R&R please!**


	9. Regaining Control

Jack stared down at the condemning piece of paper, his grip on it tightening with rage, causing the sheet to crinkle in his grip. Looking around at Milton and Kim's grave faces, Jack threw the paper aside and began to pace up and down the small length of the room. Running his hands through his hair, Jack sighed heavily and leaned against the small table at the foot of Kim's bed.

"What are we going to do?" Jack desperately thought aloud. "She can't do this to us! None of the troops even know about her condition! They all still think she's missing! And now she's expecting us to just give them three days heads up?"

Kim sat forwards as Jack took up his anxious pacing once again, her eyes alert and thoughtful despite her being unconscious a few moments before.

"Jack," Kim said soothingly. "This is exactly what Evaline wants to happen. She knows us too well. She knew that we wouldn't tell our troops until we had everything worked out. And knowing that we wouldn't have it all worked out, she's now forcing us to tell them when we have no idea ourselves what we are walking into. But we have to keep calm and we have to be level headed about this otherwise we risk throwing everything to chaos and then we really will have lost before the battle has even begun."

Jack looked over at Kim, desperation glowing in his eyes. Sitting down with a defeated sigh, Jack's posture slumped forwards with the pose of burdened shoulders. He dropped his face into his hands and rubbed his temples.

"Then what should we do Kim?" Jack mumbled through his fingers. "Evaline is an enhanced version of herself and she blames us for Jason's death. There will be no convincing her to stop so we have no other choice but to fight her. And to be honest," Jack trailed off for a moment, raising his face from his hands to look directly at Kim. "I'm not sure that we can win."

Kim shifted in her bed, leaning more comfortably against the propped up pillows. "Well," she said thoughtfully. "Evaline's given us three days to make our choice and to prepare ourselves. So we will just have to use those to our advantage. First things first though," Kim said, looking directly at Jack. "You have to tell the troops about everything they don't know about the situation."

Jack stared at Kim, fear glinting somewhere in the back of his expression. "Me? But Kim, I've never addressed the troops alone. And I don't know if I can-"

Kim cut Jack's protests off with a finger to his lips. She smiled encouragingly at Jack and whispered, "You can Jack. You've led us before, and you'll do it again. The troops won't care if you stumble with your words on that silly wooden stage. All they will care about is that you trust their loyalty and that you prove yourself their leader in the fray. All they need is the right push and boost of confidence from your words. Words lead to actions, and actions are the things that are remembered most on the battlefield."

Jack held Kim's hand tightly and she pressed her palm against his cheek with a soft smile. "I believe in you, Jack," she whispered to him before leaning forwards to place a lingering kiss on his forehead.

Milton awkwardly cleared his throat from the other side of Kim's bed, reminding the pair that he was in fact still in the room. Kim and Jack looked over at him, laughing nervously as flush spread into both of their cheeks.

"Sorry, Milton," Jack and Kim muttered simultaneously, drawing slightly apart, their hands still intertwined.

"So," Kim said after a moment. "Jack, you and Milton are going to have to explain everything to the troops. But Jack, you'll have to do most of the explaining, you realize that. They will look to you as a leader first."

Jack nodded and stood, kissing Kim's forehead. "I better go get my thoughts together," he said with a sigh as he left Milton to look over Kim's condition again.

* * *

It wasn't even an hour later that Jack found himself standing on the stage, facing all the troops as they stood at attention before him. Jack could feel his hands trembling where he hand them clasped together behind his back. He kept reminding himself that he was doing this for Kim, that she needed him to do this.

Clearing his throat, Jack took a step forwards so he could project his voice a little better.

"Troops, as you all are now aware, General Kim is in the medical ward in rather serious condition. But she is awake and she will recover as I am told by Doctor Milton." Jack watched as his words sent ripples of relief and anxious murmurs alike through the assembled crowd before him.

"Now," Jack said, trying to regain control of his troops. "There is other news, news much less pleasant." Sighing, Jack prepared himself mentally for the crowd's reaction to the news about Evaline.

"Evaline Hunter, Jason's sister who went missing the other day, was found. By Lieutenant Jerry and myself."

Larger ripples of anxious murmurs went racing through the troops before him. The girl who had been with Evaline when she vanished, Tara, called out from one of the front rows.

"She's not dead is she?" Tara looked panicked. Evaline had been one of Tara's closest friends and she was completely distraught when Evaline had disappeared from beside her that night.

Jack shook his head. "She isn't dead, but she isn't in the school with us, because she was turned into an infected."

Shocked silence settled over the troops for a split second before utter chaos broke loose in the auditorium. Soldiers yelling out about how they couldn't believe it, how none of them had ever been turned before, how Evaline was too smart of a girl to get herself turned.

Jack tried desperately to regain control of the troops, to no avail. Glancing desperately back at Milton, Jerry, and Eddie, Jack found that they had no idea how to settle them either. Jack turned back to the crowd, his frustration at being ignored growing in his chest like an expanding bubble.

"Shut it!" Jack finally yelled, his voice echoing through out the auditorium. Shocked silence fell over the troops quickly, all of them staring at the General who had rarely ever spoken up except for on the battlefield.

Letting out a huff, Jack gathered himself and continued.

"Now, all of you need to remain calm. Evaline was turned in a different way than what we are used to. She is at the peak strength that the virus gives to the infected victim, making her a formidable foe. She also left us a letter saying that we have three days to either surrender or meet her and her infected army in battle. I don't know about all of you, but I am not going to give up and let myself get turned into a mindless creature."

Jack watched as some of the uneasiness and fright began to wear away from the faces of the soldiers before him.

"We may not have had a lot of time to train, but you have all come very far for only two months of training. I believe in all of you and the strength you possess to keep your courage strong and stand together. We cannot allow the entire world to be overrun by these infected swine. We will fight back in three days time against Evaline and we will win. And why is that?"

Jack paused, his thoughts drifting to Kim as he spoke the next part.

"Because we all have something worth fighting for."

That stirred everyone before him, all of them nodding to each other and their fear molding into masks of determination and fierce belief that they could win.

Jack smiled to himself before continuing. "We are going to train extra hard for the next three days, we will be prepared and in the end, we will be victorious because we are the dominant force and we can win. All of you are to head to your regularly scheduled training groups, but you are going to attack it with ten times more force and determination than before, and you are going to keep going up from there, understand?"

Moving in synch, everyone before Jack went rigid and saluted him, calling out, "Sir, yes sir!"

Jack returned the salute and dismissed the troops before him. Turning to look at his friends, Jerry and Eddie were smiling as Milton gave him a thumb up. Jack felt pride and joy swelling inside of him until he felt like he might burst. For the first time in a while, Jack felt as if he had complete control over himself again, and over his friend, able to keep them encouraged.

Jack walked up to his friends and smiled as they clapped him on the back and congratulated him for overcoming his nerves and taking control.

"Come on guys, we have a battle to prepare for."

* * *

**A/N: Guys, don't hate me. I'm sorry this is short and terrible and took forever. I've been really busy and I've kind of been at war with myself so I didn't get a lot of this done and my muse sucks and you all must hate me. God I'm sorry. I'll try harder next time, I will. R&R please, thanks.**


	10. Promise

The three days that they had been given for preparation had expended themselves all too quickly for Jack's liking. The day of the battle looked like every other day in this miserable, apocalyptic world they had fallen into, gloomy, dark, and dilapidated. But the oppressive presence of anxiety and doom were almost too much for Jack to shoulder as he pulled himself out of his sleeping bag where it lay on the gym floor. The entire gymnasium was practically silent, save for the slight murmur of movement from the others around him as they rolled up their sleeping bags and moved about, preparing themselves.

Sighing to himself, Jack stood and rolled up his bag, tucking it away against the wall and grabbing his things for the bathroom. As Jack stood in front of the mirror, finishing up on brushing his teeth, he glanced around at the other boys that were moving about. A younger boy, who Jack remembered as Connie, was next to him at the sinks.

Connie was about thirteen years old with close cut brown hair and large brown eyes. Jack studied the boy, noticing how Connie was mechanically brushing his teeth as his eyes stared sightlessly at his reflection. The brown irises of the boy were completely terrified and Jack began to notice a slight tremor running through the boy's limbs.

Jack rinsed and put away his brush before walking up to Connie and resting a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. Connie gave a little start, his brushing movements ceasing as he turned to Jack, terror still plain in his eyes. Jack smiled as warmly as he could at the boy and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Hey, Connie, isn't it?" Jack asked kindly. Connie nodded, his eyes still plaintive as he stared up at Jack. "Are you alright, Connie? I know things look scary, but we are ready. Remind me of where you are in the formation."

Connie rinsed out his mouth quickly and set down his brush before turning back to face Jack. "I-I'm in the middle ring that guards the school, Sir."

Jack smiled and gave Connie a pat on the shoulder. "You will be fine, Connie. The battle, if everything goes right, shouldn't even reach the school. You'll see, we will win and when we do, we can start to rebuild our lives. Everything will turn out fine in the end."

Connie looked up at Jack, his brown eyes holding a small spark of hope. "Really?" he asked softly. Jack smiled and ruffled Connie's short-cropped hair. "Really." Connie gave Jack a tentative smile, his eyes looking lighter now as he gathered up his things and started heading out of the bathroom. Jack watched the boy and smiled softly.

As Jack packed up his things, he couldn't help but think about what he had said. Jack was almost positive that Connie and everyone around the school would barely even see battle today. But he wasn't so sure he could be as confident about the success for everyone on the front lines. Shaking his head, Jack turned away from the sink and left the bathroom, heading for the infirmary to check up on Kim before he went to breakfast.

Jack entered the infirmary and was surprised to find Milton and Kim standing in the main room, deep in conversation. Jack walked over to them briskly, his curiosity piqued at the situation.

"Kim!" Jack called as he approached the pair, causing them to turn in his direction. "What are you doing? Should Milton have you resting right now?" Jack accompanied his question with a glare at his friend as he pulled up next to the two.

Kim sighed looked like she was trying not to roll her eyes at Jack's overprotective behavior. "Honestly, Jack. I'm fine. And no matter what you say, I'm still a General here and I'm going to fight alongside my soldiers. I won't leave you all to face Evaline alone. And besides, Milton says I'm fine anyway, right Milton?"

The two looked at Milton whose eyes widened under their pressing looks. "Uh, yeah I checked her out this morning and she seems to be in fighting condition," he said nervously, unable to meet his friend's intense gazes.

Kim threw Jack a smug look of triumph as she folded her arms across her chest. "See? I know when I'm able to fight and when I'm not able to, Jack. I'm not a child."

Jack visibly flinched at the last comment. "But you are Kim, we all are. Some of us more than others," Jack said quietly, his thoughts drifting to Connie. When he noticed Milton and Kim's confused looks, Jack sighed through his nose. "We have to remember that we are still just a bunch of teenagers and kids here. We can't just carelessly throw away the safety of our lives and those following us, Kim. I know you want to fight, but we have to remember that we aren't the only ones fighting. We just…we just have to be extra careful."

Kim stared at Jack for a long moment, leaving him to shift uncomfortably under her intense gaze. Finally, after feeling like the entirety of time had lapsed, Kim threw herself at Jack and held him close. Surprise, Jack stumbled back a step or two, holding onto Kim as he regained his balance.

"Who are you and what have you done with Jack?" she murmured in his ear. "I think having me out of control of the troops has implanted a new sense of responsibility and leadership in you," she whispered. "And I have to admit, I'm impressed."

Jack held Kim tightly for another moment before he released her and they stared at each other in silence for a heartbeat. Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm. "So, you're really intending on fighting with us against Evaline? I assume with me on the front lines?"

Kim nodded and glanced over at Milton. "He said that I would be fine. And I know my limits Jack. I won't let us get separated again." Kim grabbed Jack's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Never again. I promise."

Jack nodded and squeezed Kim's hand back with a soft smile. "Well, I guess we should leave Milton to his preparation and we should get to assembling the troops."

* * *

Close to an hour later, Jack and Kim were standing shoulder to shoulder on the slight crest of a small hill about two miles from the school. They were standing in a run down used-to-be baseball field that the community had used for a recreational game every once in a while. Spread out behind the two stoic Generals was a mass of teenagers, all battle equipped and tensely awaiting the arrival of the infected. The front rows closest to the Generals were made up of the Recon Corps that Jack and Kim had commanded, along with Jerry and his Corp. Eddie had been left in charge of the troops protecting the school that was mainly made up of the younger recruits and Milton had stayed back to tend to them and prepare for any injured soldiers who came back from the field.

Kim let out a terse huff of breath and clenched her bow's grip as she fiddled with an arrow in her other hand, running her fingers over the feathered fletching. Kim's green eyes swept restlessly over the landscape before them. Finally she sighed and glanced back at the troops behind her.

Kim's eyes found the members of her Corp, Bryn and Diana standing shoulder to shoulder as they kept their jaws locked and gazes stoic. Kim couldn't help but feel a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she remembered walking past them earlier.

"_Diana, if I don't make it back after this-"_

"_No, Bryn. Don't say that. Don't you dare say that," Diana murmured, grabbing Bryn's hand in hers and holding fast. Surprisingly, she was unable to look into his eyes as her gaze fell to the ground._

"_But if I don't, I just…wanted you to know…that…" Bryn fumbled over his words, his cheeks becoming pink with embarrassment as he tried to gather himself, also dropping his gaze to the floor._

"_What is it?" Diana whispered, finding courage in herself to look up at the shorter boy before her._

"_I-I love you, Diana," Bryn said softly, looking up at her, their eyes locking tight to the others, blush tingeing both of their cheeks._

_Diana stared at Bryn before leaning forwards quickly and pressing her lips against Bryn's. Bryn's eyes widened before he leaned into the embrace and closed his eyes, obviously fighting tears. When they broke apart, they stood there, close together and leaning against one another's forehead, their noses brushing._

Kim blinked fiercely against the threat of tears. She loved the members of her Corp like they were family. She desperately wanted to make sure that both of them made it back alive so they could be together. She glanced over the rest of her Corp, Michael and Aaron, standing as quiet and passive as ever, and Holly, her face set but her eyes betraying her anxieties as they glistened slightly, obviously holding back from breaking down.

Kim turned away and looked at Jack who stood beside her, his hard gaze still staring out at the horizon, leaving Kim to drink in his profile. Jack soon seemed to notice that he was being stared at and turned to face Kim, their eyes meeting. A silent understand seemed to pass between them and Jack reached over, grabbing hold of the hand Kim was holding her arrow in.

"We're going to be okay. We've survived this long, we can keep surviving, so don't give up, okay?"

Kim smirked and let out a laugh that was a huff of breath released from terse lips. "I wasn't going to give up, but that doesn't mean I can't be nervous. I find it very hard to believe that you aren't even the slightest bit nervous."

Jack huffed and smirked too. "I can't deny that, I am actually very nervous. Just trying to hide it though." Jack looked back out over the horizon and sighed.

"Kim, we've been friends for almost three years now. And as much as we deny it, there is definitely something more than a simple friendship between us. So, if one of us doesn't make it back-"

"Don't you dare even think that for a moment Jack," Kim said, squeezing his hand. "We are strong enough, we can both come back from this victorious."

"Kim," Jack said softly, not looking over at her, his gaze still on the horizon. "I understand that we both desperately want to come back alive, but let's face reality for a moment. Let's think that maybe one of us falls to Evaline and her force, in case we do, I-"

Jack stopped abruptly, his whole posture tensing as he took a step forwards and dropped Kim's hand. "They're coming!" he shouted, his voice ringing out over the troops, stirring them up from their thoughts and soft conversations. A chorus of clicking guns, unsheathing of blades, and shifting feet sounded behind the two Generals.

Kim felt a pull in her chest as she realized that Jack would never get to say what he wanted before this started. Sighing, Kim turned and followed Jack's gaze, indeed finding the mass of Evaline's army approaching from across the large span of baseball fields.

_This is it_, Kim thought darkly, notching her arrow and taking aim, even though she knew she was still too far off from the enemy to have it cause any kind of damage. Kim's heart beat erratically in her chest as she watched the approaching mass of discolored infected, led by a glowing eyed she-demon who's once tan skin was now a filthy ashen color.

"Remember your training and keep your heads!" Kim shouted out over her shoulder to the troops. "If you get turned, it's your choice whether or not you finish off yourself or if you have a comrade do it. But whatever the outcome, you are all brave souls and I believe in you! Now, get ready to fight!"

"Yes ma'am!" Came the unanimous response of the sea of teenage soldiers behind her.

Jack and Km looked over at each other, their eyes meeting, drinking in one another for what could very well be the last time before Jack turned his gaze back to the oncoming army and Kim looked back at the troops. Catching sight of Bryn and Diana squeezing hands before readying their weapons, Kim found herself with tears dripping down her cheeks as she forced herself to look away.

Finding that the mass of infected bodies was now in firing range, Kim pulled the bowstring taught, her fingers that held the coarse string in place brushing against her cheek as she took aim. Releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, Kim unclenched her fingers and let her first arrow fly.

* * *

**A/N: Ahh! Guys I'm sorry this took so long and that it's crappy. Please forgive me! I actually started to make myself cry while I was writing this. I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to write this while it was "that time of the month" for me. O_O Ignore me. R&R please!**


	11. Final Stand

The first arrow when zipping into the oncoming melee of infected victims, striking one straight in the center of its forehead. The target was jerked backwards with the force of impact before collapsing to the musty ground and stayed down. It took the short span of time for Kim to reload her bow before the military grade arrow she had previously shot was triggered and the explosive contents were ignited, incinerating the infected within a twenty yard radius of the arrow head.

Kim hefted her bow again and took aim, trying for slightly farther back in the crowd with an arrowhead that would reach a wider distance with the explosion. Narrowing her pale green eyes in focus, Kim pulled the drawstring back, her fingers brushing against her cheek for the second time as she pulled it taught. Releasing the arrow, Kim watched as it flew away, slicing through the air with deadly accuracy, taking down another infected and exploding moments later, taking out a wider radius of the enemy with it.

Kim heard the barest hint of laughter from beside her as she prepared to notch another arrow into place. Looking over at Jack as the soldiers rushed around them, charging the army before them, Kim raised an eyebrow at her partner.

"Something the matter?" She asked, aiming and firing another explosive arrow towards the back of the rival army.

Jack shook his head as he aimed his gun carefully, avoiding their own soldiers as he fired. "No, nothing at all," he chuckled. Looking over at her, Jack glanced at her arsenal.

"Just, remind me where you got those arrows from again."

Kim rolled her eyes and found it in herself to laugh as well as she prepared her fourth arrow. "How many times have I told you Jack? My father worked as a weapons dealer for the FBI, the Secret Service, and the CIA before the infected took over. Which meant he was a licensed weapons carrier and had quite a stash in our house. So," Kim fired off another arrow into the thick of infected before looking over at Jack with a smirk. "When the world was taken over by these disgusting beings, all those weapons were left for our purposes. We have my dad to thank for our victory if we make it out alive."

Jack paused in his shooting and looked over at Kim with a deadly serious gaze. "You will make it out alive, Kim. I know you will. And I will do anything to make sure that everyone gets out alive."

Kim looked at Jack, pausing in her action of reloading her bow. "Jack," she said quietly.

Before Kim could continue though, the guttural growl of an infected sounded as it launched itself through the air towards the two Generals. Kim fumbled with her arrow, trying desperately to defend herself from the infected. Suddenly, Kim was shoved roughly to the side and she landed with a huff on the rank grass beneath her. Looking up sharply, Kim found that Jack had pushed her aside and taken aim at the threatening monster, firing his gun straight to it's head and killing it before it could reach them.

Jack turned to Kim and extended a hand to help haul her up. Kim grasped his hand and was on her feet quickly, straightening her equipment and checking her bow for damage.

"Thanks, I owe you for that," Kim smiled as she properly loaded an arrow into her bow.

Jack was looking her up and down with worry lighting his brown eyes. "Are you hurt? I feel like I shoved you a bit harder than I meant to."

"Honestly Jack, if I couldn't handle you shoving me around, I wouldn't be leading and army into battle against a mob of infected demon like things with you at my side, now would I?"

Jack smirked and pulled his gun from his belt and laughed. "Alright cheek," Jack said in a teasing manner, using his rare pet name for her. He had started calling her cheek a while back after her cheeky attitude that she often displayed, but after a few sound punches to the shoulder, he learned to only use it occasionally.

"Let's see how well we do. No cheating your numbers now, and stay safe."

"Same goes for you, kicks," Kim teased right back, pulling out her own pet name for him.

Smirking at each other, Jack and Kim darted off into the melee, shoulder to shoulder.

It wasn't long before Kim switched from her long-range bow to her pistol, whirling and firing with deadly accuracy and keeping tally all the while in her game with Jack. It had barely even been five minutes before Kim noticed she had become separated from Jack in the crowd and a cold pit dropped its way into her stomach and made her feel apprehension gnaw at her insides.

Shaking her head, Kim fired again, taking down two infected quickly before weaving through the mess of people, convincing herself that Jack was fine and more than capable of handling himself.

Besides, she had her own prize that she was after, and she couldn't afford to be distracted on the way there.

Kim ducked quickly to avoid the oncoming fist of and infected, whirling around immediately to face it, her senses on high alert and her posture defensive. The familiar glowing red eyes of the infected met her gaze and she had to suppress a shiver and flood of memories from facing the infected from the cemetery. Kim leveled her gun and fired.

Kim was surprised to find the shot slicing through the empty air where the infected had been a moment before. Suddenly Kim was grabbed from behind and her instinctive reflexes kicked in. Whirling around, Kim grabbed the wrist of the infected, putting immense pressure on the sensitive part of its wrist sharply. Kim then dropped her gun so she could grab the elbow of the infected and flip it quickly.

Kim scooped up her gun and aimed it at the still form the infected. She had heard the snap of its neck when it hit the ground, but she couldn't be sure if that had killed it.

Kim sighed and moved on, seeing that it had killed the infected beast.

_The way it moved so quickly…obviously there are more infected that are like Evaline, more in touch with their agility and strength from the disease, _Kim thought. As much as the thought unsettled her and sent shivers down her spine, Kim kept her face stoic and continued on through the thick of the battle.

Kim was constantly flipping between hacking and slicing away with her katana at the enemy and shooting the beasts down with her pistol as she waded through the melee, her eyes all the time searching for Evaline's figure among the mob. _Where are you, you coward? _Kim thought with disdain.

The battle felt like it had been going on for hours but the hands on her watch had moved only half an hour from when Kim had let her first arrow fly. So far Kim hadn't been given any news on how the outer perimeter was doing. Kim had set them up as a defense to keep infected from advancing on the School while they were all engaged here. Kim assumed that they were okay.

As Kim sliced down another infected, she was met with a gruesome sight as the body fell aside. There was a boy pinned underneath an infected that was closing in on his neck, fangs bared and poised to pierce his flesh.

"Michael!" Kim screeched, flying at the infected and knocking it sideways before the fangs could pierce Michael's skin. Kim, with one sharp and precise movement, sliced off the head of the infected and then turned urgently to Michael. Holding out her hand to haul him up, Kim examined his neck, her green eyes raking over the unmarred skin with relief.

"You alright?" she asked in a shaky voice. Michael nodded and thanked Kim quietly before whirling back into the battle. Kim couldn't help but smirk at his reaction, or lack of one. Even in the face of death, Michael's stoic personality remained in tact. But she had seen the fear glittering in his eyes as the fangs closed in on his neck.

Kim sighed and shook herself quickly from her thoughts, diving back into the thick of the battle still searching for Evaline, determined to take her down.

Everything suddenly became a blur for Kim as she set herself on battle mode and whirled through the ranks of the infected, taking them down quickly and mercilessly with no expression flitting across her gaze as she cleanly sliced through their chests and decapitated them. Kim had lost sight of Michael long ago and she was just hoping to any spiritual being that was out there that he and the rest of her squad were alright. They had to be.

While Kim was distracted by her pleas, her whirling and hacking had ceased and now that lapse of defense was taken advantage of. The blunt end of a gun was roughly smacked against the back of her head by an infected. Crying out, Kim crumpled to the ground and clutched her head as she rolled over.

Through her distorted, spinning vision, Kim made out the shape of an infected tossing aside the gun it had picked up before leaning over her. A smirk split it's way across the marred face of the infected as it's rank breath washed over her. Kim tried to lash out with her fists, but found her wrists being held down as the infected straddled Kim's stomach, effectively pinning her down.

"Now, now," hissed the infected. "We can't have your running off when I'm about to take my revenge now can we?"

Kim's green eyes widened as her dazed mind finally registered the familiar wave of brown hair that cascaded around the once human face of Evaline. Kim started to struggled even more so than before, hatred roiling inside of her as she squirmed.

Evaline moved so her knee was propped on Kim's ribs, holding her down as she applied pressure and leaned her face in closer.

"Now, General" she spat in a mocking tone. "Behave yourself."

Growling at Kim, Evaline adjusted so she gripped both of Kim's wrists in one hand, freeing her right arm so she could raise it. Kim braced herself as Evaline's fist came into contact with Kim's cheek, throwing her head sideways with the blunt force. Kim blinked fiercely against the hot pain that exploded in her cheek. Kim struggled against Evaline, desperate now to be free from underneath her.

Evaline continued to punch Kim across her cheeks, Kim's face soon becoming raw and bloody and feeling rather broken and bruised. Kim's left eye had swollen shut from the beating and her nose was bleeding, running down to mix with the blood that came from the scrapes across her raw, bloodied cheeks. The blows fell relentlessly until finally Evaline paused to shake out her fist, a dark smirk plastered on her ashen colored face.

Kim weakly rolled her head so she could look up at Evaline with as much fury as she could muster into her bloodied expression, although Kim looked more pained than anything. Evaline smirked and leaned in closer to Kim's face, her lips parting as she bared her fangs tauntingly.

"And now," she hissed quietly. "I'm going to turn you, and break Jack's spirit. And once your troops realize they are on their own, my army will destroy them and obliterate any hope that you had sustained."

Kim's good eye widened in horror and she screamed out, "JACK!" before Evaline growled and pressed down hard on her windpipe, effectively cutting off her voice and silencing her cry. Evaline hissed into Kim's face, all the teasing light gone from her eyes and replaced by dark hatred.

"Enough playing around, Kimmy," she growled in a grating tone. "Time to finish the job." Tilting her head to the side, Evaline tilted her head and smirked. "Any last words before you never see lover boy again?"

Kim set her jaw and worked up a mouthful of saliva and blood before spitting it up into Evaline's face. Evaline retracted and wiped the blood and spit off of her face in disgust. Growling, Evaline grabbed Kim's collar and jerked her up so they were nose to nose.

"You are going to die now, Kim."

Kim closed her one good eye and braced herself for the harsh bite from Evaline. Kim's breathing quickened, her heart pounding erratically as she felt Evaline's fangs closing in on her neck.

"Kim!" cried a familiar voice. Kim felt her heart break as she heard the strain of desperation and the sting of pain that filled that voice as it called her name.

Kim felt Evaline draw back in shock before weight disappeared entirely in a sudden jerking movement. Kim dropped listlessly to the ground, releasing a breath she had noticed she had been holding. Rolling painfully onto her side and forcing open the eye that wasn't swollen, Kim looked around for Evaline.

Spotting her a few yards away, Kim saw that she was locked in combat with the one who had called her name before obviously tackling the once human girl off of her. Kim drew in a sharp breath as she found Jack's face through the pairs struggling. His eyes were filled with rage and his jaw locked and tense.

Kim wanted to reach out to him, call to him, tell him she was okay and to be careful, but she couldn't move, she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness as she watched Jack and Evaline tumbled away to be swallowed up in the melee.

As Kim was blacking out, a firm hand grabbed her shoulder and jerked her onto her back. Kim, thinking it was an infected, scrambled weakly for the gun at her hip, trying to hold onto consciousness.

"Kim!" called a younger girls voice. Blinking her good eyes, Kim was able to register Holly's worried face hovering above her.

"Holly?" she croaked weakly.

Holly's face melted into one of relief and she immediately started working to patch up Kim's wounds. Speaking quickly as she worked, Holly's worried tone captured Kim's attention.

"You have to go after Jack and help him, Kim. He can't fight Evaline on his own, not with how well she's at one-on-one combat. No matter how good Jack is, Evaline has always excelled stupendously at that kind of combat, that is actually the only kind she ever did well at. You need to fight alongside Jack so she can't win, she can't do two on one. Do you think you can?"

Kim sat up, feeling more energized now that she had been tended to and now that she had her goal back in her sights. Kim smiled weakly at Holly and rested a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"I'll be alright, Holly. You just watch out for yourself, okay? Remember what dad used to say?"

"Sisters have a bond that no one can break," Holly whispered, tears springing into her green eyes. "And he also told us to look after each other if anything happened."

Kim nodded, her green eyes matching her younger sister's as they filled with tears. "Right," she whispered. "You've looked after me and now I'm looking after you. Get yourself out and stay alive. I can't lose the last of my blood family, especially since it's you."

Holly hugged Kim tightly before releasing her older sister and vanishing through the crowd, hopefully to safety.

Kim turned and rushed off in the direction that she had seen Jack and Evaline tumbled in. She prayed that Jack had been able to hold Evaline off, remembering Holly's words about how Evaline had excelled at hand-to-hand combat during training. Kim tried to keep her thoughts positive but she couldn't ignore the pit that seemed to be expanding in her stomach.

As Kim pushed her way around a fighting couple of human and infected, she unsheathed her sword in preparation, only to stop dead in her tracks.

Eyes wide and heart pounding against her ribs like a bird trying to free its confining cage, Kim found that she was unable to draw a breath. _No…no…no…_ was all Kim could think as she tried to process what was before her.

Kim shook her head, gasping for breath as she watched Jack's body falling to the ground. His arm was bent at an unnatural angel and his head lolled limply to the side as he lay still. Evaline stood over him, her red eyes filled with triumph and an evil smirk plastered on her face.

"Oops," she said tauntingly, wiping Jack's blood from her hands on the dry grass.

"Jack…" Kim managed to strangle out in a choked voice before balling up her fists and screeching, "No!"

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**A/N: OMG GUYS I'M SO SORRY! School and life and dance just got in the way and next thing I knew BAM! a month gone by without an update. So I tried to write an extra long chapter for you guys and I will definitely try to update faster next time. Oh and please don't hate me for this chapter because I still love you all! R&R!**


	12. Sacrifice

The shriek that had left Kim's mouth moments before left behind a short echo that was soon drowned out by the gruesome background noises of the battle raging just around the other side of the short rock structure they stood behind. Kim's fists were clenched tightly at her sides, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. Tremors ran through her body in uncontrolled spasms, causing her to shake immensely. Kim's green irises were locked firmly on the still, bloody, broken form of her partner.

_Her partner. _The one who had always been at her side, the one who had never left her alone. He was always fighting alongside her, protecting her while she protected him. They always had each other's backs, always coming out on top and winning, saving the day. He was the one who promised she would make it out of this fight alive, promised that everyone would make it out alive.

_He had promised,_ Kim thought numbly.

That little string of words that Jack had formed into a promise too big to count on, that last thing he had promised her, slammed Kim back into reality, her vision sharpening and her tremors ceasing. Jack had promised her that everyone would get out of this battle alive. _And everyone includes you, Jack, _Kim thought.

Kim slowly leveled her gaze with Evaline's, her eyes stony chips of green ice as she locked with the glowing, demented red orbs before her. Kim could hear her pulse pounding in her head, throbbing through her veins and making her slightly dizzy. Kim felt her jaw lock as she tightened her grip on the handle of her katana. Kim felt pure hatred mixed with raw adrenaline racing through her limbs, urging her forwards, egging her on to slice right through Evaline's chest.

Then Evaline did something Kim wasn't expecting. She laughed. "My, my, General," she chuckled out, her red orbs narrowing in sick amusement. "With a look like that, one might think you were a murderer in disguise. But face it, Kimmy. If Jackie here can't beat me, what makes you think that you can? Wasn't he the best fighter?" Evaline huffed and kicked at Jack's side, his body rolling listlessly with the movement. "I really had hoped I would be presented with more of a challenge."

Kim could no longer hold herself in check. A piercing scream ripped at Kim's throat as it tore it's way out. She rushed at Evaline, moving faster than she ever thought she could, surprising both herself and Evaline with her speed. Kim sliced at Evaline, grazing her shoulder before Evaline was able to leap out of the way.

Evaline zipped a few feet away, clutching her shoulder where the blade had connected with her arm, a low growl emitting from the back of her throat. Kim stood defensively over Jack's body, breathing heavily and eyes dancing with fury.

"Don't touch him, Evaline," Kim spat, her voice thick with rage as she pointed her blade at the monster before her. Kim watched with fury tinting her vision red as Evaline looked up from her wounded shoulder and growled deeply, animalistic now in stance, all teasing light gone from her demon eyes. Evaline stalked forwards toward Kim, still keeping her distance from the blade but threatening in presence even still.

Kim narrowed her eyes as she stared down her prowling enemy, heart pounding in her ears and her breathing short and shallow. She would never show it through her eyes, but Kim was terrified. Jack was at her feet in a bloody pile, and Kim wasn't sure if he was even still alive. Evaline was circling her like a hawk about to swoop down on it's prey and Kim's hands were shaking so hard from rage and fear that she could barely keep her blade steady.

Kim glanced down and behind her at Jack, her gaze lingering on his bruised and swollen face, her eyes filling with tears as her breath hitched in her throat. As Kim went to turn back to face Evaline, she found that her enemy had taken advantage of her emotional breach and launched herself at Kim. Kim gasped and raised her sword to meet Evaline, only to find it batted aside.

The impact with Evaline left Kim breathless and her vision spinning as the two tumbled backwards from the momentum of Evaline's attack. When the world started to even out again, Kim found herself pinned underneath Evaline and unable to defend herself.

Evaline smirked down at Kim and shook her head. "Here we are again, second time in one fight. My, my, Kim, you really are out of shape. How's that head of yours by the way? Still concussed I would assume."

Kim scowled, hating that Evaline was right. The pain hadn't been as unnoticeable as she had let on to Milton and Jack. Before her confrontation with Evaline, the ache had been a dull throb in the back of her head. But now after tumbling around on the ground, the pain was coming in sharp flares that spread throughout her entire head, making her eyes water and her body feel weak and numb. Despite this, Kim glared up at Evaline and refused to show any signs of weakness.

Evaline sighed and pushed aside some hair that had fallen into Kim's eyes. "I want to see your expression clearly when I demoralize your troops by turning you into one of us, my dear Kim."

Evaline smiled down at Kim, her demonic, sharp-pointed teeth poking out of her gums, prepared to sink into the flesh of Kim's neck and turn her against the ones she was supposed to lead; the ones that she loved.

Wriggling underneath of Evaline, Kim refused to give up, even though she knew she couldn't do anything about her situation. Looking up at Evaline, Kim narrowed her eyes defiantly and stared Evaline down, refusing to make a sound as she watched the beast of a girl leaning down to Kim's neck, fangs bared and poised to strike. Kim closed her eyes and prepared herself for death, taking in a deep breath and steeling her nerves.

Suddenly, Evaline's body was jerked with a sudden movement. Opening her eyes with a gasp and looking up, Kim's eyes widened. Evaline's back was arched, her chest thrust forwards because of a sharp metal rod sticking out of the center of her chest. Thick, black oil looking substance mixed with blood was dripping from the tip of the rod and oozing from the new hole in Evaline's chest. Evaline looked down at Kim, the red color gone from her eyes as they began to fill with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Kim," she whispered.

The rod was jerked out of Evaline's chest and her limp body fell sideways, freeing Kim from the hold. Scrambling to her feet, Kim looked to her savior and found Jack, hunched over; leaning heavily on the rod he had just used to kill Evaline. His face was still bloodied and bruised and he looked altogether broken. But to Kim, he had never looked more handsome. She was about to rush over and hug him when something in her peripheral vision. Whirling around to face the infected that had launched itself from a nearby tree, Kim reached for her sword, only to realize that it had been lost somewhere in the grass during her fight with Evaline.

Desperate, Kim tried to fumble her pistol from its holder, but she knew she was going to be too late. Kim started to stumble backwards, finding that her legs were weak and shaking, leaving her unable to run. Kim suddenly found herself on the ground, her knees giving out completely. Throwing her arms up in front of her face in a last frantic attempt to protect herself, Kim braced for death yet again. But when the blow never came, she quickly lowered her arms and looked up, her eyes widening in horror at the scene before her.

Kim watched, frozen in place, as Jack crumpled underneath the weight of the infected as it landed on him. As they fell, the infected sank its fangs deep into the flesh of Jack's exposed neck; it's red eyes glowing in triumph.

Kim scrambled to her feet, hearing someone screaming in agony and wondering which of her other comrades had fallen to the infected that had ruined their lives. As she grabbed hold of the rod Jack had discarded on the ground before rushing in front of her, Kim whirled on the infected and bashed in it's head, throwing it off of Jack's limp, twitching form. It was only then that Kim realized it was _her _that was screaming.

She gulped in a breath and stopped screaming, dropping to her knees next to Jack and pulling him gingerly onto her lap, holding him close and not caring about the blood that was now staining any clean spot left on her clothes. Kim's hands were shaking so hard that she was barely able to keep her hold on Jack as she sobbed over his bloodied chest, hearing his shallow, uneven breathing as the poison of the disease infiltrated his bloodstream and began to take over.

"Jack," Kim whispered in a broken, hoarse voice. Clutching him to her chest, Kim sobbed into his shoulder as he twitched beneath her, fighting the poison that threatened him.

"Kim…" came a weak, breathy whisper. Pulling away from Jack's shoulder, Kim looked down at Jack, tears spilling from her eyes and carving tracks in her dirt and blood smeared cheeks. She found his eyes and almost melted in relief to see that they were still their beautiful, radiant brown color. Trying for a smile through her tears, Kim held Jack gently, keeping him close to her.

"Jack," she whispered again. Shaking her head as her tears started to fall even heavier, Kim managed to say around her sobs, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I wasn't so weak, you wouldn't have-"

As Kim broke off with a sob, Jack reached up and weakly brushed aside a loose strand of Kim's dirty blonde hair, looking up at Kim with sad eyes, a soft smile on his lips as he looked up at her. Kim looked down at Jack with watery eyes, watching as her tears dripped down to fall on his bloody cheeks.

"It's not your fault, Kim," Jack whispered. "You were brave, so brave. And you never gave up on us, any of us. Even when things were so hopeless, you were there to bring us back. Don't ever think you're weak Kim. I won't be around to prove you wrong for much longer, so you're going to have to start realizing for yourself that you are strong."

Kim squeezed Jack's hand as a sob escaped her lips. "Don't say that, Jack! You have to live! You can't leave me alone, please! I need you Jack," Kim whispered the last part. Lowering her forehead to his, Kim let her tears fall onto his face as she whispered again, "I love you, Jack."

Jack reached up with a weak, trembling hand and cupped Kim's face in his palm as he pulled her closer. Kim allowed him to guide her face so that her lips found his. The kiss was gentle and soft, their lips pressed together with only minimum force as they clutched each other's hands in their embrace. Kim tasted her salty tears mixed with the metallic taste of blood in their kiss, but more overwhelming and overpowering was the taste of just, Jack. Warm and sweet and strong and it comforted her for a moment to know that he was still him and he hadn't turned yet.

The thought of him turning was enough for her to gently pull away and turned her face into his hand that still cupped her cheek, kissing his palm as she grabbed his hand, keeping it on her cheek. Fresh tears were falling from Kim's eyes and dripping onto Jack's hand as she cried.

Jack's hand moved to Kim's belt and when she looked down at his hand, she found that he was fumbling with releasing her pistol from its sheath. Kim reached down and grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop. She looked at him with wild, panicked eyes.

"What are you doing, Jack?" she asked in a strained voice.

Jack's eyes met hers and she felt her heart skip a beat as it dropped to her stomach. The warm brown color she had fallen in love with was slowly fading and giving away to the demonic glowing red that had possessed Evaline's eyes.

Jack's breathing was uneven and keep hitching on it's way out, making Kim shudder as she listened. "I need you…to kill me, Kim. You said…yourself…either kill yourself…or have someone kill you…for everyone else's benefit…I'm no exception."

Kim shook her head as her eyes watered all over again, but now Kim was sure that they had never dried. "I can't do it, I can't kill you Jack! Please don't make me…"

Jack grabbed Kim's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I can't do it, I'm too weak and I don't…trust myself. And I…want you to be…the one to do it…please Kim..."

Kim knew that she wouldn't win this argument and she knew she had to kill him to save everyone else. Her heart and her mind were locked in a war about love over logic, and Kim's heart was losing. With tear-blurred vision, Kim pulled her gun from her belt and clicked off the safety, readying her weapon for the kill she would never forget, that she would always regret.

Leaning down, Kim pressed her lips against Jack's one last time as she pressed the barrel into Jack's chest. With a trembling finger, Kim tightened her grip on the trigger. Kim winced as the backfire's kick hit her in the chest, right over her heart. Kim pulled away from Jack's lips and watched as the red light dimmed from his eyes, followed by the light that was always present in his warm brown irises. Kim set Jack's limp form down on the cold ground after clutching him for a moment longer, closing his eyes before she stood.

_You won't die in vain,_ _Jack,_ Kim thought. _You promised me everyone would get out alive, and everyone will, even if you can't._

* * *

**A/N: Omg guys please don't kill me for this. It hurt me to write this but I had to do it. Don't ask me why I just had to. I love you guys so much. Only one chapter left before this story comes to a close.**


	13. Continue On

Kim sat quietly with her arm raised listlessly, letting the young medic wrap the stark white gauze around her forearm, bandaging a scrape that she had obtained in her scuffle with Evaline. She was bruised and sore more than anything, not having gained a significant number of flesh wounds from the fight. The rest of her army was about the same; the ones who were still alive were not too banged up. The worst one of them having a concussion and a broken arm, but they would recover. Even though the soldiers who had survived were not too banged up, Kim still winced internally every time she thought of the body count.

Kim slid off the table and walked quietly out of the medical room, leaving an exhausted looking Milton and nurses to their work as Kim trudged to the cafeteria where all the bodies of the fallen were being kept while the mass grave was being dug. They had decided that there were too many people to dig up individual graves so all of the bodies were being placed carefully in a large grave.

As Kim walked through the rows of shrouded bodies, she almost choked, not on the stench, as there wasn't one yet, but on her tears. Gaining control over her emotions, Kim stopped near the end of one row and stared down at five shrouded bodies before her. One body was covered in a purple shroud and the other four in blue. The rest of the bodies surrounding Kim were either covered in green or white shrouds.

Kim pulled aside the shrouds of the four blue covered bodies and stood staring down at them, emotionless. Kim's green eyes grazed over each face, identifying them again as she had done earlier. The still, bloodied faces of her Corp lay before her, Diana, Bryn, Aaron, and Michael. Kim briefly remembered saving Michael from an infected during the battle and it hurt her to think that it had been in vain. Diana and Bryn had been found lying next to each other on the bloodstained grass, their hands intertwined only by their fingers. And Aaron, he had been found barely alive and passed quietly not long after.

Kim bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back the threat of tears as she saluted her team one last time. Kim then carefully replaced the shrouds over her comrades' faces and turned to face the one shrouded in purple. Taking a deep breath, Kim pulled back the cloth and stared down at the familiar face.

His brown curls were slightly matted with blood and dirt and his face was still smeared with grime. The features of the boy before her were peaceful and still, his enrapturing brown eyes hidden from her forever. Kim reached out and stroked his hair gently as she placed a kiss on Jack's forehead, murmuring her final goodbye to the boy she had loved so much. As she covered his face again, Kim couldn't help but think that he had died so young, they all had. Jack had been the same age as her, only eighteen with so much life still ahead of him.

Kim felt herself beginning to tremble slightly and she quickly left the cafeteria, swiftly brushing by all the other mourners that were in the eerily quiet room. Once in the hallway, Kim broke into a run, sprinting down to the room where the Council always met to plan. Bursting into the small meeting room, Kim flicked on the lights and swung the door shut behind her as she collapsed into a chair. Curling her knees up to her chest, Kim began to cry, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. It took a few minutes before Kim was able to regain composure over herself, lifting her head from her knees and wiping the tears from her eyes that blurred her vision. Looking around, Kim saw the whiteboard that was on the wall before her, the same one she had written that single word on to stir her friends back into action. That one word she had promised would lead them to victory, would ensure their safety, would lead them to a better future. That one stupid, deceitful word that had been written by Kim, the word that left the blame for everything on her shoulders.

_Hope._

Kim stared at the word before her, the events of the past week flashing through her head. And when it finally hit Kim that because she had written that single, powerful word on the board she stared at, that everyone who was dead was her responsibility, she lost it.

Kim screamed and lunged at the whiteboard, dragging her hands roughly across the letters of the word she now despised, trying to wipe it from existence. Kim continued screaming in such a pained way, she almost scared herself. But she couldn't stop it. She had lost control completely. Kim started throwing the chairs surrounding the table aside, launching them into the walls, and throwing the whiteboard markers around.

Kim collapsed on the floor when she no longer had the strength to keep standing and throwing things around, burying her face in her hands and sobbing harshly.

_My entire squad is gone, everyone, no one is left. Jack's gone too. I've failed everyone who is lying in the cafeteria. Their death's are all on me, all because I thought I could lead an army of _children _into war against a force we've never even seen the likes of before. Everything is my fault._

Kim was burying herself deeper and deeper in her guilt when she suddenly felt a hand shaking her shoulder and a young boy's voice calling out her name.

"General Kim? General Kim!" came the juvenile voice near her. Lifting her head from her hands, Kim looked at the little boy before her with her broken tear filled eyes. She didn't know this boy; at least, she didn't know his name or much about him. Kim had definitely seen him around the school before during the day but that was the extent of her interaction with him.

Wiping at her eyes and nose, trying to clean her face of tears, Kim sniffed and looked at the boy quizzically. "I'm so sorry you had to see that…"

"Connie," the boy supplied quietly.

Kim took in Connie's short-cropped brown hair and matching irises and his youthful face. He couldn't have been more than thirteen years old, Kim thought to herself. But as Kim looked at him, she suddenly remembered something about him that she hadn't before.

"Connie," she whispered to hoarsely. "You were one of Jack's protégé, weren't you? I remember you now. He kept checking the formations of the battle plan to make sure you were out of harm's way, he really took a liking to you."

Connie's gaze travelled to the floor as his eyes began to well with tears. "General Jack was like an older brother to me after the infected took over. I looked up to him, and now he's gone."

Kim looked at Connie with wide eyes before lowering hers to the ground as well. "I'm so sorry, Connie. It's my fault the General you looked up to is dead." Kim almost choked on the word 'dead', but she forced herself on. "I couldn't protect him when he needed me, even though he was able to do it whenever I needed protection. I failed him, and now he's gone, and it's all my fault."

Connie looked up at Kim and set a gentle hand on her shoulder, causing Kim to look up at the younger boy. His brown eyes were filled with so much pain and sorrow that it broke Kim's heart to know he was so young but so sad. But he gave her the softest of smiles and shook his head.

"General Kim, it's not your fault Jack's gone. He made his choices in that fight and I think he was meant to always go down the path he did, even if none of us are happy with it. His sacrifice has allowed us to live on and fix the world he died to save. But he also died for you, so you can't just give up. And you need to stop blaming yourself for his and everyone else's death. Every single person in that cafeteria who is no longer with us walked into that battle willingly, knowing the consequences and carrying on anyways, not running from the fight like so many others did. So you need to stop blaming yourself."

Kim stared at Connie, her eyes wide. He sounded so much wiser than his physical appearance led one to believe. She smiled and grasped Connie's hand tightly.

"I think I've found the person to take Jack's place at my side as General. That is, if you think you can handle it."

Connie's eyes widened and he leaned back, surprised. "Me? W-why me? I'm nothing special."

Kim shook her head, a soft smile still on her lips. "See, that's exactly what Jack used to say too. He would spew out some incredible speech that could motivate even the most broken of souls and then wonder why he was looked to as a leader. Connie, if you can keep everyone's spirits up while we rebuild this town, then you can do anything. And I believe you can. You're just like Jack in many ways, which is probably why he took a liking to you as a protégé."

Connie pondered Kim's request before nodding confidently. "Alright. I'll do it."

Kim smiled and the two of them stood from where they were sitting on the floor of the conference room. "Alright, I need you to go find Lieutenant Jerry and Major Eddie in the auditorium. They are currently making plans for the reconstruction of this town and I want you to help them."

Connie's eyes lit up and he nodded, saluting Kim before rushing off to the auditorium eagerly. As Kim watched him leave, she smiled and turned to walk towards the medical wing.

Kim entered the room and looked around, relieved to find that after all the minor injuries had been treated, the room had significantly emptied out. Upon Kim's entrance, she was immediately tackled by Holly who sobbed into Kim's shoulder with relief that her older sister had made it out alive. Kim clung to Holly as they cried together for a few minutes, just relieved that the other was alive. As Kim looked over Holly's shoulders through her tears she saw Milton glancing at them with a small smile on his face as he tended to a wounded soldier.

Kim and Holly left the medical wing, talking quietly as they made their way to the rooftop of the school to watch the early morning sunrise together. As they sat there with the cool breeze drifting around them and through their blonde hair, Kim closed her eyes and relished the peaceful silence.

"So," Holly spoke up after a while, the sun halfway up the horizon, coating the sky in soft shades of pink and lavender and orange, the first sunrise the sisters had seen since the infected had taken over and polluted the skies with the destruction they had brought. It had surprised Kim how quickly the skies had cleared, but she was happy anyways as she looked over at her sister. "You remember that test you and Jack had asked me and Milton to run?"

~~ 6 years later ~~

Kim sat on the porch of her small house, swinging back and forth slightly with the breeze drifting around her. Kim set her book aside and watched the clouds drift by in the sky above her, thinking about her past and sighing as she did so. Kim's fingers absentmindedly drifted up to the small silver locket that dangled from her neck. Rubbing the little charm between her fingers, Kim looked down the sidewalk as three young girls and two little boys came racing down the street. Smiling, Kim sat forwards on her swinging bench seat and watched them approach.

The smallest of the children, a little girl with scruffy brown curls and mischievous brown eyes bounded up the porch stairs and turned triumphantly to her friends, thrusting her tiny fists into the air above her head.

"I've won again!" she cried in the high-pitched voice of a five year old. The other children followed her up the steps, whining about how unfair it was that she always won.

Kim laughed at the children, drawing their attention to her. They all launched themselves towards her, cries of "Auntie Kim" surrounding her in high-pitched young voices. The little girl with her brown curls bounced up onto the seat next to Kim and hugged Kim.

"Can we play in the backyard, Mama?" the little girl with brown curls asked sweetly, her large brown irises pleading with Kim to say yes. Kim couldn't help but marvel at how strikingly similar to Jack her daughter was. She smiled and ruffled the little girl's curls.

"Of course you can, Allison." Kim looked around at the other children and smiled. One of the little boys was the spitting image of his father, Jerry, the Latino look just radiating mischief, the other boy with the gentle eyes and blonde hair of Kim's sister, Holly. One of the little girls with her darker skin and thick bouncy curls had the same, kind face as Eddie and the last girl matched Milton with her sharp eyes and scrawny build.

Kim couldn't help but see the small group of young children as herself and her friends reincarnated, from their looks to the way they acted, Kim couldn't help but feel tearful and nostalgic. Watching the children scamper off to the backyard of Kim's little house, she fingered the locket around her neck again and this time popped open the clasp, smiling tearfully at the picture smiling up at her.

"I'll let them have the life we never could, Jack," she whispered, moving her gaze to the sky. "I promise."

* * *

**A/N: Whelp, that's it! The final chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it (as heart wrenching as it was a times). I apologize for killing of Jack which I will probably get yelled at for, but hey. Anyways, I love you all so so much for your support throughout this story and I am so grateful you stuck with it! Enjoy the final chapter and R&R one last time please! Love you all! See you next time!**


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